Arne Slot responds to reports that Federico Chiesa could end Liverpool spell as early as January with ex-Juventus winger struggling in fight with injuries

The Italian winger, who completed a £10 million move from Juventus in the summer, has faced persistent injury setbacks that have limited him to just 78 minutes across three Liverpool appearances. His integration into the squad was further hindered by a disrupted pre-season at Juventus, where he was reportedly restricted to low-intensity training sessions.

There has been intense speculation from Italy suggesting a temporary return to Serie A for Chiesa in the winter transfer window. However, those reports have been met with firm rejection by Slot, who is focused on restoring the player’s fitness for a more sustained impact at Anfield.

When asked about Chiesa's future, Slot told reporters: "[Parting ways with Chiesa] hasn't gone through my mind at all. First and foremost is that he gets fit again and then we can see where he is. He missed pre-season [with Liverpool] and in pre-season [with Juventus] he was on low-intensity sessions as he had to train with three or four players separate from the group. Going from then to a high-intensity league, to a high-intensity playing style is difficult in general for every player, but especially if you had a pre-season like this."

The Liverpool boss described the careful approach the club has taken with Chiesa’s rehabilitation, aiming to balance physical preparation with a gradual return to full match fitness.

"We knew this before and we knew we had to be really careful to adjust where we could to his individual needs," he said. "But it hasn't been perfect yet so we are trying to find the right way of building him up without overloading him. That has been difficult up until now. I have full confidence that will happen. Let's let him first be fit."

When pressed for an expected return date, Slot refrained from offering a specific timeline, citing the unpredictable nature of Chiesa’s injuries.

"That’s always difficult to say, because he goes a bit up and down," said Slot. "Sometimes he is there with us, train a few days and then he goes out for an injury again. I don’t want to put days or weeks on it because we just have to make sure he gets in the best possible shape, and I don’t put any pressure on him by coming out with dates."

Chiesa will remain unavailable as Liverpool play Brighton twice this week, first in the Carabao Cup at the AMEX Stadium and then in the Premier League on Saturday at Anfield.