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Topics: Football, Liverpool, Federico Chiesa, Arne Slot, Champions League, Premier League, Football News
James Taylor
Topics: Football, Liverpool, Federico Chiesa, Arne Slot, Champions League, Premier League, Football News
Federico Chiesa's response to being left out of Liverpool's Champions League squad has been revealed.
The Italian winger joined Liverpool from Juventus in 2024 for £10 million, with a further £2.5 million in add-ons.
But his first year was a tough one, as he struggled for game time under Arne Slot, featuring for just 104 minutes of their Premier League campaign.
It sparked speculation that he could depart this summer, which only grew when he was left out of the club's pre-season tour due to a minor injury.
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Chiesa decided to stay at Anfield and made an instant impact on the opening day, coming off the bench to score a late winner against Bournemouth.
Despite that bright start, he was omitted from the club's 22-man Champions League squad, with 17-year-old Rio Ngumoha included instead.
Ahead of Liverpool's trip to Burnley in the Premier League, Slot spoke to the media about the decision.
Slot said: "One of the most difficult things you have to do as a manager.
"I explained to him why we made this choice.
"Of course, he wasn't happy. But I think he understood my argument."
Ngumoha has already made the headlines this season, scoring a dramatic winner in the 10th minute of stoppage time against Newcastle.
His rise, combined with Liverpool's attacking additions, has increased the competition for Chiesa.
Liverpool's forward line has changed significantly over the summer.
The tragic death of Diogo Jota was followed by the departures of Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez.
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Slot moved quickly to rebuild his attack, bringing in two big-money replacements.
Hugo Ekitke joined for an initial £69 million fee from Eintracht Frankfurt, while Alexander Isak was a British record £125 million deal.
Ekitke has settled in well, scoring in the Community Shield and his first two league games.
Isak, meanwhile, is expected to take time to build his match fitness, but he arrives at Liverpool as one of the league's most proven strikers.
With Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah still established on the wings and the emergence of Ngumoha as a first-team option, Liverpool now effectively have three new forwards.
It means that opportunities will be hard to come by for Chiesa and he will have to impress in the limited game time that he receives.
In Liverpool's recent 1-0 victory over Arsenal, he was limited to just 11 minutes off the bench.