Why Arne Slot Has Left Federico Chiesa Out of Liverpool Squad vs Bournemouth

Liverpool manager Arne Slot, aiming for silverware in his first season at Anfield, has excluded left winger Federico Chiesa from his Premier League matchday squad against Bournemouth without citing any illness or injury.

Currently sitting atop the Premier League standings after 22 games in his debut season, the Dutchman, who remains in contention for multiple trophies, is eager to maintain freshness in his squad. Consequently, Slot has opted to leave Chiesa, 27, at home for the team’s trip south.

Bournemouth, undefeated in their last 11 matches, and Liverpool, on an 18-game unbeaten streak, boast two of the longest ongoing unbeaten runs in the Premier League, setting the stage for an exciting encounter at the Vitality Stadium. However, Chiesa will not be involved.

The substitutes’ bench for Liverpool’s clash with the high-flying Cherries includes the likes of Darwin Nunez, Harvey Elliott, and Diogo Jota, all of whom will look to make an impact, but there was no place for Chiesa.

Fabrizio Romano shared on X (formerly Twitter): “Federico Chiesa, left out by Arne Slot today with no injury or illness. Technical decision after playing 90 mins in UCL on Wednesday and out today with [Diogo] Jota and Darwin Nunez on the bench.”

The initial report from The Athletic’s Liverpool correspondent James Pearce indicated that Chiesa, who joined from Juventus in the summer of 2024, was left out after playing a full 90 minutes in Wednesday’s Champions League match.

In Liverpool’s final game of the European group stage, the 51-cap Italy international completed his first full 90 minutes for his new club. Despite the defeat, Chiesa contributed his second assist of the season in the 28th minute.

The Fiorentina academy graduate, while recording only one assist, had a solid performance at the Philips Stadion, firing two shots on target and achieving a 60% dribbling success rate (3/5). He also completed three passes into the final third.

Chiesa, a two-time Italian Cup winner, sustained an injury shortly after joining and missed eight Premier League games. Since returning to fitness, the forward has been gradually reintegrated into the squad, which explains Slot’s decision to leave him out of the latest matchday squad.