Arne Slot's brutal Federico Chiesa decision defended as Liverpool cult hero tipped for success

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Federico Chiesa has been tipped to have an impact for Liverpool despite his Champions League omission.(Image: Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images)

Former Liverpool goalkeeper David James has defended the decision to omit Federico Chiesa from the Champions League squad, as he believes the Italian can be crucial in their Premier League title defence.

With only 17 non-homegrown players allowed to be registered in the list, Chiesa missed the cut as Ngumoha isn't regarded as homegrown, having signed from Chelsea last year.

The former Juventus forward is emerging as a cult hero at Anfield despite playing a bit-part role in their Premier League title success.



But during their defence, he has made an impact, including netting the winner in the curtain-raiser against AFC Bournemouth.

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James raved over the European Championships hero but has defended Arne Slot's decision as he tipped Chiesa to make an impact in the domestic cups as well as the Premier League.

"He didn't feature much at all last season, did he?

Regularly on the bench and not featuring, he is this season but the recruitment Liverpool have made has been superb," he told the ECHO via Esports Bets.

"He is the player that I look at and I just think, 'I love you', you could put him in any era, he looks like a 1950s player and you could imagine him running with big fat leather boots on.

Today, he looks like he belongs there.

"I think Arne has to think about the squad with regards to the multiple competitions - not just put his best players in everything.

"I think with Chiesa given he's already had so much more gametime in the early season, part of the defence of the Premier League will have a lot of Chiesa-involvement.

"As much as you want to be a part of a Champions League squad, if you're a part of it and not playing, there are some who wouldn't necessarily like that.

He's got a lot to do for Liverpool to be successful and I think he'll have a heavy involvement in that."

Despite not being in the list to feature in the Champions League, Chiesa trained alongside record-signing Alexander Isak after the Sweden international was left out of the 1-0 win over Burnley on Sunday.

During his pre-match press conference ahead of the trip to Turf Moor, the Dutch head coach described the decision to leave Chiesa in the cold as 'one of the hardest' decisions a tactician will make but he lauded the attacker's professionalism.

"Of course, that is one of the most difficult things you have to do as a manager," Slot explained.