Federico Chiesa and Mohamed Salah aren’t the only Liverpool players making headlines during a challenging start to the season, but their immediate futures could soon be linked for Reds manager Arne Slot.
Salah has yet to hit his usual form this campaign, while Chiesa has made the most of his opportunities, scoring twice and assisting twice in under 180 minutes of action.
With Salah helping Egypt qualify for the World Cup, he could miss up to 10 games from Christmas onward due to the Africa Cup of Nations. Slot has tentatively looked at Jeremie Frimpong for the right flank, but Chiesa could emerge as a realistic alternative.
Losing Salah during one of the busiest periods of the Premier League season is far from ideal, yet Liverpool are accustomed to coping with AFCON absences every two years. The summer’s forward rebuild—featuring Alexander Isak, Hugo Ekitike, Florian Wirtz, and Cody Gakpo—means the team has other options to cover goals and assists in Salah’s absence.
As Salah’s temporary exit approaches, Chiesa’s window opens. A fully fit Italian could provide exactly what Liverpool need. His man-of-the-match performance against Southampton in the Carabao Cup and a late equaliser at Crystal Palace showed his potential, though a minor knock kept him out of the trip to Galatasaray and limited him to the bench against Chelsea.
If Chiesa reaches full fitness by the end of December, he may be Slot’s best option to step in for Salah, with few alternatives available during t
he AFCON.
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