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Federico Chiesa told Italy boss Gennaro Gattuso that he wasn't ready for a return to the international fold during the current break.
Italy faces Estonia and Israel in World Cup qualifiers over the next few days, but Chiesa will not represent the Azzurri during either game, and he has not played for his country since Euro 2024. Gattuso revealed in a press conference that he was keen to have Chiesa in his squad, but the player himself had other ideas.
“I know what I said to Chiesa, and Chiesa knows exactly what he said to me.," Gattuso said. "We were keen to call him up, but I saw a guy who wasn’t 100% sure. And when someone comes and has to face matches and official competitions, I want players who are fired up, ready.
"He told me, and made it clear to me, that he wasn’t up to it, because he had to improve certain things. That’s what we said.”
Chiesa began the season in encouraging fashion, scoring his first-ever Premier League goal as he came off the bench to score the Reds' winning goal against Bournemouth last month.
The 27-year-old was also brought on as a substitute in the closing stages of the wins over Newcastle and Arsenal, so it was somewhat surprising when he was omitted from Liverpool's Champions League squad.
It took Chiesa until April last term to reach four league appearances — a record admittedly hampered by injury — and after remaining at Liverpool beyond the summer window, there was hope he would play a more important role this season.
Arne Slot’s decision not to select him in Europe would suggest otherwise, particularly given teenager Rio Ngumoha was chosen ahead of the former Juventus man.
That is an unusual situation, with most academy graduates not needing to be named in a UEFA squad due to rules surrounding homegrown players.
Ngumoha, though, does not meet the criteria as a locally-grown player as he only signed for Liverpool from Chelsea last year, and he also does not meet the criteria to be classed as a locally-grown player from his time at Chelsea either, due to his tender age.
UEFA regulations stipulate that clubs can name up to 25 players in their List A squad. Of that number, a maximum of 17 can be non-homegrown players, but at least eight are reserved for “locally trained players”.
Liverpool selected 17 players in the former category and did not have room for Chiesa, hence his exclusion.
The Reds only actually have five senior players who are classed as homegrown players — Freddie Woodman, Jeremie Frimpong, Conor Bradley, Joe Gomez and Curtis Jones — and so the A List that the Reds submitted contained just 22 players, three fewer than the permitted 25.
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