BOSS EXPLAINS REASON WHY FEDERICO CHIESA WAS LEFT OUT OF SQUAD
Liverpool's summer signing Federico Chiesa was not selected for the latest Italy squad, following discussions with manager Luciano Spalletti.
Italy boss Spalletti spoke to the media and explained his reasoning behind Liverpool's new signing not being a part of the fold for their Nations League games.
The former Napoli manager said that he wanted to call up Chiesa, but after speaking to the 26-year-old following his move to Liverpool, it was decided that the player would stay on Merseyside.
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"Chiesa and I spoke, and made a fair assessment. I would have brought him as an extra player, not participating in the games. He told me that he had spoken to his new club and that he needs to do specific preparation work with them," Spalletti confirmed.
Italy travelled to face France on Friday night, and are also scheduled to lock horns with Israel on Monday.
Chiesa signed for the Reds in the final week of the summer window for an initial fee of £10 million and after being in attendance at Old Trafford to watch his new team-mates destroy rivals Manchester United, preparation work during this international break will enable him to bolster an already dangerous attacking force.
Football - FA Premier League - Manchester United, ManU FC v Liverpool FC MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - Sunday, September 1, 2024: Liverpool s news signing Federico Chiesa during the FA Premier League match between Manchester United FC and Liverpool FC at Old Trafford. Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda MANCHESTER Old Trafford GREATER MANCHESTER ENGLAND PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxUK Copyright: xDavidxRawcliffex P2024-09-01-Liverpool_Man_Utd-71
Chiesa already impressing on training pitch
Chiesa has undergone training with Liverpool's under 21s this week in a bid to improve his fitness ahead of Nottingham Forest's visit to Anfield next Saturday.
Under 21s manager Barry Lewtas has been full of praise for the Italian, saying that Chiesa's presence at training has not only helped the Italian, but given the youngsters a taste of what it's like to play against someone of that level.
"You can see from the quality of his career so far, this is why he's at one of the best clubs in the world. His professionalism and his quality was really good. It just gives our boys a little bit of a chance to play against someone of that quality [and] it's a really good learning opportunity for them," Lewtas said to Liverpool FC.