'Unbelievable' Liverpool player's career left hanging by a threat after latest Arne Slot snub - opinion
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Federico Chiesa is still yet to be given a proper chance to prove himself.
The Reds sit top of the league despite being far from convincing in all of their games so far, with Arne Slot’s ruthless decisions appearing to be the right ones.
The Dutchman has not been afraid to make some interesting substitutions, while his team selection has been rather brutal, with it being Chiesa who has felt the full brunt of it.
Not only was the Italian omitted from the Champions League squad entirely, but he was also left out of Liverpool’s matchday squad for the Merseyside derby, and he was not even injured.
This bold call from Slot perhaps proves just how low down the winger is in the pecking order, even if he did save the day for them against Bournemouth on the opening day of the season.
But now, there is one decision which his manager has to make that Chiesa will be sweating over, with it having the potential to make or break his Liverpool career.
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Liverpool’s League Cup campaign begins on Tuesday and up first for them is Championship side Southampton.
This will be a good chance for some of the fringe players to be given some game time by manager Slot, and Chiesa will surely be expecting to play.
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As he is not a part of the Champions League squad, his chances to play midweek football are very limited, with this his first chance to properly prove himself.
And, with Slot regularly mentioning how many games his team has to play at the moment, rotation will be key and Chiesa should get his opportunity.
If not, this would be a very telling sign indeed, with the Italian likely calling his time at Anfield quits if he fails to start.
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The 27-year-old is capable of playing on either flank, but with Rio Ngumoha likely to start on the left, Chiesa’s chance should come at right-wing – that is if he gets one at all.
With Harvey Elliott no longer at the club as well, competition for this position is limited, and with Mohamed Salah definitely not going to feature, this is Chiesa’s big moment.
This is the second time in as many seasons that Liverpool will face the Saints, although Chiesa will be hoping for a better time on Tuesday.
Last season, he started on the bench, although he was substituted on at half-time, meaning he got plenty of time to prove himself.
However, he struggled to impact the game and lost the ball on seven occasions, with his performance failing to earn him more chances later down the line.
So, with this being a third-round tie too, stakes will not be as high, meaning that if Slot does not play him from the start in this game, then his Liverpool career might just be over.