Liverpool dealt new injury worry as statement issued amid Virgil van Dijk 'surprise' | OneFootball

Chiesa will miss out as Italy bid to qualify for the 2026 World Cup

Liverpool forward Federico Chiesa has withdrawn from the Italy squad ahead of their World Cup play-off semi-final against Northern Ireland.

However, Chiesa has been denied the chance to make his first Italy appearance since Euro 2024.

It was announced by the Italian Football Federation on Monday that the 28-year-old left the training camp and has returned to Liverpool upon being assessed by the medical staff.

A statement reads: “Footballer Federico Chiesa, whose condition was assessed upon arrival at the Federal Technical Center, was deemed unavailable for the next two matches and, in agreement with the club, left the national team's training camp.

“Bologna player Nicolo Cambiaghi was called up in his place.”

Federico Chiesa came off the bench in Liverpool’s loss to Brighton

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Chiesa becomes the latest Liverpool player who will not be going away for international duty after Alisson Becker had to pull out of the Brazil squad due to injury which kept him out of the loss to Brighton.

Mohamed Salah also missed Saturday’s defeat after picking up a knock in the Champions League last-16 second leg rout of Galatasaray three days prior and has been omitted from the Egypt squad as a result.

These setbacks come at a time where Liverpool are already without Conor Bradley, Alexander Isak, Giovanni Leoni and Wataru Endo, prompting captain Virgil van Dijk to express his “surprise” at the situation.

"My initial reaction [is one of] frustration, I think I have been repeating myself lately," Van Dijk said after the Brighton loss. "It is the situation. I was also surprised when I was on the training pitch yesterday (Friday), and I only saw the amount of players that I saw, but that is the situation. So yes, it is tough.

"Listen, I don't know what to say - I said over the last months the same thing. We can't build on a good performance.

It is the situation. I was also surprised when I was on the training pitch yesterday, and I only saw the amount of players that I saw, but that is the situation

Virgil van Dijk

“That is something that has to change if we are to achieve what we are trying to achieve, and that is Champions League football.

"We are trying everything. We are trying to turn it around and we are hopefully going to turn a corner, but it doesn't look that way at the moment.

“Obviously we go away now to our different countries. Everyone has a responsibility to stay as fit as everyone can and come back ever better if that is possible.”