Slot just made huge Federico Chiesa call ahead of AC Milan game

Liverpool have announced their 23-man travelling squad for the club’s trip to the San Siro for a Champions League tie with AC Milan – and Federico Chiesa has been included.

The news was officially confirmed by the Reds’ X account online following the Italian’s involvement in senior team training this afternoon.

Federico Chiesa is part of our 23-man travelling squad for Tuesday’s Champions League opener with AC Milan 👇

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) September 16, 2024

The former Juventus star has yet to make his debut for Arne Slot’s side, with the Merseysiders possessing extraordinary depth in the forward line.

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The Merseysiders will be hoping to get back on the right track after fumbling hard against Nuno Espirito Santo’s Nottingham Forest side at the weekend.

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Could AC Milan present Chiesa with a cameo opportunity?

We’re open to selection surprises in Italy, but it would be quite the show of early faith to see Chiesa’s name on the teamsheet ahead of our Champions League opener against Paulo Fonseca’s side.

We’re of the mind that the 26-year-old is far more likely to be forced to wait for his opportunity another week or be granted only a few minutes of first-team competitive action to whet his appetite.

How have Paulo Fonseca’s AC Milan performed in 2024/25?

It’s been a very difficult start for AC Milan’s new boss, Paulo Fonseca.

The 51-year-old manager has overseen one win, two draws and a defeat in his start to life with the Rossoneri – a run that sees the European giants languishing in mid-table with only five points to their name.

Really, this is exactly the kind of fixture we should be looking to capitalise on after such a disappointing showing on Saturday.

Yes, there’s the San Siro atmosphere to contend with, but if we show a serious improvement tomorrow in Italy, we’d be willing to put money on it being another extremely difficult occasion for Fonseca to handle.

Liverpool’s 23-man travelling squad: Alisson, Gomez, Endo, Van Dijk, Konate, Diaz, Szoboszlai, Nunez, Mac Allister, Salah, Chiesa, Jones, Gakpo, Jota, Tsimikas, Robertson, Gravenberch, Jaros, Kelleher, Alexander-Arnold, Quansah, Morton, Bradley

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