Liverpool have officially jetted off to their first overseas destination of the preseason, leaving on Sunday for Hong Kong. The majority of the senior squad was on the plane that left from Merseyside, including potential departures Darwin Núñez and Luis Diaz, but one notable name was surprisingly absent from the list.
Federico Chiesa, the embattled Italian forward, was not included in the squad traveling to Asia, despite scoring in the behind closed doors 5-0 victory over Stoke earlier on Sunday.
While there has been no clear announcement as to why Chiesa was left out of the traveling squad, Ian Doyle of the Liverpool Echo reports the attacking player is suffering a “minor issue” that needs to be assessed at home base.
This all seems a silly thing to be reporting but considering the squad that left for Hong Kong on Sunday includes most if not all of the senior squad, including Harvey Elliott back from his vacation following the U21 Euros, the absence of Chiesa is something to note. It hasn’t exactly been a secret that the Italian, or the club itself, is looking for a way to cut ties after a disappointing season laden with missed opportunities.
Chiesa has been linked with various moves, either to the rest of Europe or back to Serie A ahead of the new season, to restart his sputtering career. With AFCON on the horizon for the upcoming season and a period without Mohamed Salah, it might benefit Chiesa and the club to continue this unsteady relationship. Again this also depends on what other plans the club has for the rest of the transfer window.
Considering we’ve given Darwin three years to come good, maybe one more wouldn’t hurt for Chiesa.
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