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Liverpool travel away to Chelsea this afternoon with the Reds receiving the first of four guard of honours.

Arne Slot’s side confirmed their status as Premier League champions last week with a 5-1 win against Tottenham, with the Merseyside giants making six changes to face Chelsea as Liverpool fans lauded Wataru Endo’s return to the XI.

One surprise from the starting team was the lack of Federico Chiesa once again, with the Italian international making just four league appearances this season as the former Juventus star could potentially miss out on picking up a Premier League winner’s medal.

And Arne Slot has now addressed if Chiesa will make the number of appearances needed to secure a medal come the final game of the season later this month against Crystal Palace.

READ MORE: What Federico Chiesa did at Liverpool this season that left coaching staff concerned

Photo by Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images

Speaking to the Premier League’s official website, Slot assured fans pre-match that Chiesa will feature again for the Reds, with the 27-year-old one appearance off from qualifying for a Premier League winner’s medal.

Slot said when asked about Chiesa: “Federico Chiesa is on four games and this gives me the chance to give him his fifth game [to earn a medal] either today or in the upcoming games, he definitely deserves it.”

With Jose Mourinho interested in signing Chiesa, there’s a growing chance that the winger could leave Liverpool after just one year in England, with the forward’s first season with the Reds not going to plan due to injuries and a lack of match sharpness.

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Yet Slot’s comments on Chiesa today shine a light on how the Liverpool manager feels about the forward, and the former Serie A star could be set to feature in the final games of the season, having been out through injury.

With three games left to go after today’s clash in west London, opportunities will be few and far between for Chiesa in an attempt to make a lasting impression on Liverpool supporters before the season comes to a close.

Despite this, though, the Italian will want to try just that against Arsenal, Brighton & Hove Albion and Palace, with Chiesa seemingly set to be handed a chance to qualify for a Premier League winner’s medal after Slot’s comments today.

Indeed, Chiesa has shown sparks of quality whenever given a chance by Liverpool, and the attacker will want to prove just that in what are essentially friendly games for the Reds, with nothing to play for except respect and more points on the board.


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