It was seen as a no-brainer. Liverpool’s £12m signing of Federico Chiesa – the Italian golden boy on his nation’s triumphant European Championship title run three years ago – was heralded from all angles as a coup for Arne Slot. Another asset in the Reds’ ferocious group of attacking talent. But that potential has not quite come to fruition yet.
Three matches and 78 minutes played. One assist. Zero goals. And an absence of nearly three months, dating back to 25 September.
In fact, Chiesa’s brightest moment in a Liverpool shirt so far came with a sharp finish for the Under 21’s two weeks ago, in a 4-3 loss to Nordsjaelland of Denmark in the Premier League International Cup, on a windy night at Liverpool’s Kirkby Academy.
Yet the 27-year-old winger looks set to feature on Wednesday night, for what will likely be a much-changed Liverpool starting XI at Southampton in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals.
“It’s definitely a moment where he can get minutes,” Slot said in his pre-match press conference on Tuesday, though he revealed it will not be a full 90 minutes given Chiesa’s recent muscle injury.
“Federico will make minutes tomorrow. Whether he starts, comes in or plays the second half, that’s something we have to make a decision about during this day.”
Chiesa’s gradual return to fitness, after Diogo Jota’s clinical appearance from the bench with the late equaliser against Fulham on Saturday, also comes at just the right time for Slot, as he experiences English football’s Christmas mayhem for the first time.
As Liverpool chase success on four fronts once again, Slot’s squad face eight matches in a month over the chaotic festive period. A win on Wednesday will increase that number to nine. Hence, the Dutch coach will likely bring the changes at St Mary’s, with the priority for Liverpool returning to winning ways at Tottenham on Sunday after two league draws in a row.
“It’s going to be either academy players that are going to get playing time or it’s going to be players that nobody would expect to see in the last [defensive] line that are going to play tomorrow,” he said, amid a shortage of defenders with Andrew Robertson injured and Kostas Tsimikas doubtful.
The Reds manager also confirmed Caoimhin Kelleher will start.
Another interesting point of note will be the unfamiliarity of the men barking instructions on the touchlines on Wednesday. Having picked up his third yellow card of the season, Slot has to serve a touchline ban at St Mary’s, though will be present in the stands and the dressing room.
As such, it will likely fall on assistant Sipke Hulshoff and first-team coach John Heitinga (formerly of Everton) to direct the proceedings on the pitch.
There will also be a new voice for the hosts, following Russell Martin’s sacking after Southampton’s dismal 5-0 defeat to Tottenham. Under-21s manager Simon Rusk is the man tasked with motivating a depleted group of players, who have lost five of their last six matches.
There is recent history worthy of mentioning here. Southampton gave Liverpool a scare three weeks ago before Mohamed Salah inspired a comeback – and then made those shock remarks in the post-match media mixed zone.
Further, the Saints stunned quadruple-chasing Manchester City at this stage of the competition two years ago, with a 2-0 victory on the south coast. The only positive omen that provides for the visitors, though, is that it freed up Pep Guardiola’s squad to go on and claim a famous treble.
Come tomorrow night, and perhaps even the end of the season, could history repeat itself in more ways than one?
Southampton v Liverpool kicks off at 8pm on Wednesday 18 December. Coverage on Sky Sports Football.
