Slot gives Chiesa verdict as Italy star returns to action for Liverpool | OneFootball

Federico Chiesa returned to action for Liverpool on Wednesday night, and the Reds coach, Arne Slot, said he saw some ‘normal’ ups and downs from the Italy international.

Chiesa spent nearly three months on the sidelines at Liverpool, needing to recover his best fitness after a summer transfer from Juventus.

The former Bianconeri star was not part of Thiago Motta’s plans at Juventus, so he trained separately from the first team before joining Liverpool at the end of August.

Chiesa played 45 minutes in Liverpool’s win over Southampton in the EFL Cup quarter-finals last night.

Slot gives Chiesa verdict as Italy star returns to action for Liverpool

Liverpool coach Arne Slot (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)

“I think what I saw is what you can expect. If a player is out for five or six months, you cannot expect [too much]. I saw ups and downs,” Slot said at a post-match press conference, as quoted by Liverpool’s official website.

“I saw some really good moments and I saw some moments where I felt like, ‘OK, you can do better than this.’ For me, that’s completely normal if a player has been out for so long and plays his first game in five or six months.”

Chiesa had provided one assist in three Liverpool appearances before last night’s display.

The Italian winger has signed a contract until 2028 at Anfield.

A Euro 2020 winner with Italy national team, Chiesa has seven goals in 51 international appearances.

Liverpool’s next competitive match is on December 22 against Destiny Udogie and Guglielmo Vicario’s Tottenham in the Premier League.