Liverpool boss Arne Slot has cleared up the mystery surrounding Federico Chiesa’s absence from the squad travelling to Turkey for Tuesday night’s Champions League showdown with Galatasaray.The Italian winger, who found the net in the weekend defeat at Crystal Palace, trained earlier in the day at Kirkby but was not on the flight to Istanbul with the 21-man group. His omission raised eyebrows, especially as he was recently added to the Champions League roster following Giovanni Leoni’s ACL injury.Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Slot explained that the 27-year-old picked up a minor issue at Selhurst Park which resurfaced during training.👉 “He felt a little problem in the Palace game,” Slot said. “He tried to continue in training, but it wasn’t possible to finish the session. With Chelsea coming up, we decided not to take any risks.”The decision is being viewed as a precaution, with Liverpool hopeful that Chiesa will be back in contention for the Premier League clash at Stamford Bridge this weekend. His absence will no doubt frustrate fans, given that his first season at Anfield was disrupted by injuries, but the medical staff are determined to protect him from a more serious setback.On a brighter note, Hugo Ekitike is back and available after serving a suspension, offering Slot another attacking option in Istanbul. With five goals in his opening eight matches for the Reds, the Frenchman will be one to watch.Liverpool haven’t tasted victory at Stamford Bridge since 2020, so having both Ekitike and Chiesa available for that match will be a huge boost.
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