Liverpool will be without Federico Chiesa when it takes on Galatasaray in the Champions League on Tuesday, with manager Arne Slot confirming the Italian forward has not recovered from a knock sustained in Saturday’s defeat by Crystal Palace.
Chiesa, who scored Liverpool’s only goal at Selhurst Park, was added to its European list last week in place of injured Giovanni Leoni.
However, Slot said the winger is not in the 21-man group travelling to Istanbul after failing to finish training, with the club opting to protect him ahead of its next league match against Chelsea.
“He got a little niggle, I think it is the word you use here in England, in the last game against Palace,” Slot told reporters on Monday.
“He tried it today, he was on the pitch in the beginning, but he couldn’t end the session, so we decided not to take him because in a few days it’s Chelsea again,” he added.
After Liverpool’s first Premier League loss of the season, Slot called for a response, saying his team created enough against Palace but was undone by defensive lapses.
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“No matter if we win, lose or draw, if you want to compete for trophies and wear a Liverpool shirt and what is asked from you is giving everything you have and combine that with the best football you can play,” he said.
“We conceded many more chances than we did before when we played Palace. So we can definitely improve on a few things,” he added.
The Dutchman dismissed suggestions that his side’s defensive issues stem from recent changes in the full-back positions, pointing to collective responsibility.
“One of our strengths was that we kept the other team away from our goal a lot, and that normally doesn’t start with your defenders. We have to go back to that. We have to prove in the upcoming weeks and months that we were maybe a bit unlucky in conceding some set-pieces,” he said.
Turkish champion Galatasaray arrives on a run of seven straight league wins, while Slot said its 5-1 defeat by Eintracht Frankfurt in its Champions League opener was misleading.
“They were very, very unlucky in that game,” he said.
“If they play the same game again, they will never concede five goals. They are a very good team with a very good manager, and we have to be prepared for that,” he added.
Published on Sep 30, 2025
