Liverpool could be in line for a boost on the injury front ahead of their return to Premier League action against Southampton next weekend.
The Reds will resume their hitherto excellent season with a visit to the struggling Saints, whose one win, one draw and nine defeats since their top-flight return is the inverse of Arne Slot’s record in the division thus far.
The league leaders have managed to churn out a consistent string of victories despite having key players such as Alisson Becker and Diogo Jota sidelined, although one man might be in line for a comeback at St Mary’s next Sunday.
On Monday, The Independent‘s Karl Matchett penned an article detailing the various injury concerns in the Liverpool squad, with a projected return date for each player affected.
It’s claimed that Federico Chiesa ‘might be fit to rejoin the squad’ for the Southampton game next weekend, having not played in almost two months due to the Reds carefully managing a muscle problem which has impeded him throughout the autumn.
With Slot indicating earlier this month that he’s hopeful of having the Italian available after the international break, it’s understood that ‘he should be close, at the very least’ to matchday action for his new club.
Nearly three months on from joining Liverpool, Chiesa unfortunately hasn’t had the chance to really get going at Anfield due to his injury issues, having made just three appearances so far totalling 78 minutes (Transfermarkt).
It’d therefore be understandable if Reds fans are a tad sceptical as to a realistic comeback date for the 27-year-old, who’s highly unlikely to be thrown straight into the action next weekend after a two-month absence, but at least there seems to be genuine hope that we’ll see him on the pitch sooner rather than later.
Various Italian media have claimed that the forward could be loaned back to his homeland in January due to his lack of impact on Merseyside so far, but the simple truth is that he hasn’t had the chance to prove himself to Slot, and he deserves more patience than to be jettisoned so soon.
Even if it’s only to take his place on the bench and make a cameo appearance late in the match, it’d be a most welcome sight if Chiesa were to be involved in the Liverpool matchday squad against Southampton on Sunday.
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