Liverpool forward is NOT happy with Arne Slot | OneFootball

Liverpool are in a particularly rare position right now, where the vibes at the club are unmatched.

So much positivity exists in the cohesion of the different players, within the fanbase and in how the ownership regime is being viewed. There's also just one player dealing with an injury right now.

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It's hard to think of a time whereby everything was in sync with each other like it is at the moment.

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But of course, there was always going to be a slight negative that would crop up out of nowhere and it's arrived in the form of a brutal judgement call that Arne Slot had to make in filling his squad quota.

Someone had to be left out in order to meet the regulations and the decision hasn't gone down well.

Chiesa 'unhappy' with Champions League decision

It was announced a few weeks ago that Federico Chiesa would not be available for the 'league phase' matches in the Champions League, because he was not admitted to the squad list by Slot.

The decision came as a result of Rio Ngumoha not yet qualifying as a 'locally trained' player, since he isn't 18 years old, meaning his inclusion had to be in the main list, costing Chiesa his opportunity.

Naturally, you might have expected the Italian to take precedence, since he's in the prime of his career and the teenager is three matches into his time as a senior footballer, but the talent that the 17-year-old has shown so far is remarkable, and Liverpool have taken a punt on him delivering.

What this means is that Chiesa is not going to be involved in the European competition until the knock-out phase, should Liverpool qualify for it, and that isn't taking place until January 2026.

Throughout the international break, the Italian had to sit with the decision, training with the Reds as he had not been called up by his country this time around. Furthermore, we had to wait until Friday's press conference for Arne Slot to be addressed by the media about his decision and the reaction to it.

He said: "Of course, it tough for a manager, it is difficult for him. Of course he wasn't happy with that decision, but he understood the argument. He gave the answer you want to hear from a player and he will be there to help in the other cups and the league.

"He worked really hard in these days to be ready for the upcoming games, which is even more important than what a player tells you."

As such, it appears as though the player's attitude has not wilted, despite the disappointing update, although his perspective on his long-term future might change when the transfer window re-opens.

in hope of Chiesa playing a more regular role in the side this season, and with the World Cup in 2026, he'll hope he hasn't made a mistake.