For the second international break running, Liverpool forward Federico Chiesa has been left out of the Italy squad by manager Gennaro Gattuso. And for the second international break running, it’s a decision that’s been made at the request of the player.
“I must respect what the player tells me,” Gattuso explained. “I often talk to him. So we have to respect the decisions and problems that each of us has. We know what we tell each other, and I must respect what the player tells me. I can’t say anything
else.”
While Chiesa has impressive massively when given the chance for Liverpool this season, his chances has been limited and there have been suggestions that he is still working to try to get back to the kind of fitness levels he had before suffering his ACL injury.
Certainly his decision to skip national team duty for a second month and despite interest in calling him up from the manager would suggest that’s the issue causing his limited minutes and not as is sometimes speculated a poor relationship with club boss Arne Slot.
Regardless the particulars leading to a lack of minutes for Chiesa, few players have done more than the always grafting, striving, and working Italian attacker to endear themselves to Liverpool fans in what has been a sometimes quite difficult season.
Italy, sans the Liverpool man, are set to take on Moldova and then Norway in their final two World Cup qualifiers. They are currently second, in a playoff spot three points back of Group I leaders Norway with a massive goal differential disadvantage.
