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Federico Chiesa showed his professionalism in training despite being omitted from Liverpool's Champions League squad.
The 27-year-old has endured a peripheral role at the Premier League club following his arrival last summer, managing only 17 outings since his switch from Juventus. Regardless of limited game time, the Italian remains a favourite amongst the Anfield faithful and savoured his standout moment in a Liverpool shirt during the seasonal opener, netting a decisive goal in the Reds' 4-2 win over Bournemouth.
While he has appeared in every league fixture this season so far, Chiesa will be unable to experience the European spectacle at Anfield as an active participant after being excluded from the 23-man squad for the league phase. It comes as a crushing disappointment for a player who appeared to have found his feet after last season's struggles, with Arne Slot choosing to include 17-year-old Rio Ngumoha instead.
Having made 16 Champions League appearances throughout his career, including three with Liverpool, Chiesa would be justified in feeling hard done by, yet this hasn't prevented him from maintaining his commitment to being ready when called upon, according to Slot. Ahead of their journey to Burnley on Sunday, the Liverpool manager acknowledged the difficulty of excluding Chiesa whilst praising the forward's mentality.
He said: "Of course, that is one of the most difficult things you have to do as a manager. For a player not to play, it is not always easy to tell them, but not to be in the squad is always more difficult.
"I just explained to him why we made this choice. Of course, he wasn't happy with that. I think he understood my arguments - that is not to say he agreed with them.
"He didn't tell me, by the way, that he didn't agree with them. But he gave me the answer you want to hear from a player, that he will be there to help the team in the cups and in the league.
"That's one thing to say, but I think he also showed this because he wasn't selected, but he worked really hard these days to be ready for the upcoming days. That is even more important than what a player tells you."
Chiesa's commitment and dedication were evident in Liverpool's most recent Inside Training footage, where he could be seen working intensively with medicine ball routines and pitch-based exercises.
Supporters praised his professional approach in the comments, with one fan writing: "I just love Chiesa's attitude and his work rate, of course," while another said: "Chiesa, I've got a soft spot for that guy. I love his attitude."
A third supporter described the Italian as a "perfect example" adding: "I hope that Chiesa gets more game time than he did last season. His attitude and passion and love for being a Liverpool player is outstanding. He is a perfect example of what every club needs."
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