Those of a Liverpool persuasion are no doubt braced for the imminent return to action, with Arne Slot’s struggling champions hosting Nottingham Forest in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon.
It’s been anything but plain sailing for the Reds this season, and with only three points gained from their past six outings in the top flight, title-defending aspirations have devolved into fears that the Reds will miss out on Champions League qualification for only the second time in a decade.
Last season was nearly flawless until Slot’s champions eased standards toward the final stretch, save for Forest’s shock win at Anfield early in the campaign.
Liverpool will need to be at their best to ensure Sean Dyche does not heap more misery on his side. Set-pieces and long balls have been among the cruxes of this issue-ridden campaign, after all.
And they will have to make do without the creativity of Florian Wirtz, who has been ruled out with a muscle injury sustained with Germany.
The latest on Florian Wirtz's fitness
Wirtz is ruled out this weekend, having checked in after international action with a muscular problem. Conor Bradley is also sidelined, and for a longer period than the 22-year-old. However, Alisson Becker could make his anticipated return from injury.
Wirtz has been at the epicentre of Liverpool’s struggles this season, routinely hounded for his tough integration period after completing a £116m transfer from Bayer Leverkusen in July. The playmaker has yet to score across 16 matches in all competitions, and he has not registered an assist in the Premier League.
Though he struggled during the defeat at Manchester City two weeks ago, Wirtz has shown signs of progress in recent games, and his creativity will be sorely missed against a resilient Forest backline whose low block and resilience under pressure will prove a tough nut to crack at Anfield – last season bears testament to that.
While Cody Gakpo will fancy a return to the starting line-up in Wirtz’s stead, Slot may want to consider a more dynamic option for this one.
And Slot may have just the solution in Liverpool’s new version of Divock Origi.
Slot must unleash Liverpool's new Origi
Origi has achieved cult status at Liverpool. The Belgian striker only scored 41 goals across 175 appearances for the outfit, but his catalogue of big-game moments is something to behold.
His goal in the 2019 Champions League final over Tottenham Hotspur immortalised him on Merseyside.
Now, Liverpool find themselves enjoying the skill of a new version in Federico Chiesa, who has been unable to nail down a starting role in Slot’s team since completing a £12.5m transfer from Juventus in 2024.
Chiesa toiled through his first year in England, but he’s played a bigger role since the summer, having notched two goals and three assists across all competitions this season. He has played 12 times, yet only two of those appearances have come from the opening whistle.
Hugo Ekitike
16
6 + 1
Mohamed Salah
16
5 + 3
Cody Gakpo
16
4 + 3
Federico Chiesa
12
2 + 3
Alexander Isak
8
1 + 1
Florian Wirtz
16
0 + 3
Rio Ngumoha
7
1 + 0
In the words of reporter Lewis Oldham, “Chiesa has undoubtedly been a flop for Liverpool”, but he’s simultaneously emerged as a “Divock Origi regen” in that he is a rare trump card off the bench and a popular figure besides.
Because for all the hardship Chiesa has been through since joining Liverpool, he has enjoyed some big moments in red. It was the 28-year-old who bagged a consolation in the Carabao Cup final, and he ensured Slot’s side made it a winning start to the current campaign after restoring Liverpool’s lead over Bournemouth back in August.
Chiesa’s wizardry on the ball and natural striker’s instinct could see him slot right into Wirtz’s berth, playing off the left and drifting centrally to accommodate Liverpool’s tactical flow.
Given that the Italian has also won 55% of his ground duels and averaged 0.8 tackles per Premier League fixture this term in spite of not having started a game, he might even be an apt fit for the physical battle that comes with a clash against the Tricky Trees.
Liverpool cannot afford another slip-up at the moment and must secure three points against Nottingham Forest in the Premier League. Given that Chiesa has been among the most coherent and dangerous forwards in Liverpool’s squad, surely it is time he earns a rare starting role in the big league?
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