Federico Chiesa sent stark warning by Arne Slot after making just one Liverpool start
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Federico Chiesa has been told there’s no guarantee of game time at Liverpool as Arne Slot believes the summer signing will have to battle to get ahead of the Reds’ in-form forwards. The Italy winger arrived on Merseyside in a £10m deal from Juventus right at the end of the transfer window. Chiesa, 27, had no pre-season as he had been cast aside at the Serie A club and arrived in Liverpool lacking fitness.
Since then he has managed only four appearances for the Reds - and one start - as injury, illness and fitness issues curtailed his game time. Chiesa is expected to get the chance to feature against Accrington Stanley in the FA Cup third-round tie. And Slot insists he will be needed in a busy second half of the season but with Mo Salah in flying form and fitness on the right and Cody Gakpo and Luis Diaz starring on the left, chances won’t come easy. “Every game is a chance for every player to get some playing time,” said the Liverpool boss.
“It is not only been difficult for him for all the things you just said in terms of match fitness - I'm not going to say all these things again - it is also that he has to compete with the likes of Cody Gakpo, Luis Diaz, Diogo Jota, Darwin Nunez and Mo Salah.
“And everybody here knows the numbers that Mo brings in... there are not many times or reasons to take him out during a game or before a game. “Also because he is so fit. I've said many times before he was the fittest player who came back for pre-season and he does everything every single day to keep his match fitness and he wants to play every single game and he shows up every single game.
