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Liverpool's Federico Chiesa has been encouraged to make a return to the Italian national team by his former teammate, Federico Bernardeschi.
The 27-year-old Reds forward hasn't represented his country since the European Championship last year. In the interim, Italy has seen a change in management, with Luciano Spalletti being replaced by Gennaro Gattuso during the team's World Cup qualifying campaign.
Chiesa was considered for Gattuso's first squad in September, but after discussions, he decided against joining due to fitness issues. It seems that the former Juventus player made a similar decision this month, as Gattuso clarified: "The Chiesa issue is very simple.
"I talk to my players a lot, and I want to make that clear, a lot. I speak every week with Fede, and he knows what I think of him, but I also have to respect what the player tells me. He does not feel at 100 percent and wants to be at 100 percent. That is the truth."
Chiesa has only completed one full match this season, shining in Liverpool's 2-1 win over Southampton in the Carabao Cup. The 27-year-old assisted both goals, which is twice as many as he managed throughout the previous season.
Bernardeschi, who made his return to Serie A with Bologna this campaign following a three-year stint with Canadian outfit Toronto, maintains that Italy requires Chiesa's "pure talent."
Speaking at the Festival dello Sport, Bernardeschi commented: "I really love Fede like a brother. He deserves it, he has deserved it, and will deserve it again.
"I think we need this sort of pure talent, even if they are sometimes criticised. In the end, talent is talent. And that shows in tough moments, like with what happened to him last year, but look at how he's coming out of it.
"We talk a lot, he's at a great team and if he's there, it's because he deserves to be there.... We hope to be there (at the World Cup) together. Neither of us has gone to one yet, it would be nice to go together, for everyone, also for Italy."
The Azzurri are approaching the conclusion of a challenging qualifying campaign and face the prospect of missing out on a third consecutive World Cup.
With Norway's dominance in Group I, Italy appears destined for the March playoffs.
Gattuso's players have maintained an unblemished record since his appointment, however, netting 13 goals across three matches.
Italy welcomes Israel to Udine on Tuesday, aiming to reduce the deficit to Norway to three points before the final two qualifiers - one of which sees Italy host the group leader on the concluding matchday, a fixture that could prove either meaningless or decisive.
Liverpool has six games to navigate before Gattuso announces his next squad selection, and Chiesa will be keen to make his mark.
Despite netting his second goal of the campaign as a substitute in the defeat to Crystal Palace, he was an unused substitute in the 2-1 loss to Chelsea prior to the international break.
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