It was seen as a no brainer. Liverpool’s £12m signing of Federico Chiesa – the Italian golden boy on his nation’s triumphant European Championship title run three years in the past – was heralded from all angles as a coup for Arne Slot. One other asset within the Reds’ ferocious group of attacking expertise. However that potential has not fairly come to fruition but.

Three matches and 78 minutes performed. One help. Zero targets. And an absence of practically three months, relationship again to 25 September.

The truth is, Chiesa’s brightest second in a Liverpool shirt up to now got here with a pointy end for the Below 21’s two weeks in the past, in a 4-3 loss to Nordsjaelland of Denmark within the Premier League Worldwide Cup, on a windy evening at Liverpool’s Kirkby Academy.

But the 27-year-old winger seems to be set to function on Wednesday evening, for what is going to doubtless be a much-changed Liverpool beginning XI at Southampton within the Carabao Cup quarter-finals.

“It’s positively a second the place he can get minutes,” Slot stated in his pre-match press convention on Tuesday, although he revealed it won’t be a full 90 minutes given Chiesa’s latest muscle harm.

“Federico will make minutes tomorrow. Whether or not he begins, is available in or performs the second half, that’s one thing we’ve got to decide about throughout today.”

Chiesa’s gradual return to health, after Diogo Jota’s medical look from the bench with the late equaliser in opposition to Fulham on Saturday, additionally comes at simply the precise time for Slot, as he experiences English soccer’s Christmas mayhem for the primary time.

As Liverpool chase success on 4 fronts as soon as once more, Slot’s squad face eight matches in a month over the chaotic festive interval. A win on Wednesday will improve that quantity to 9. Therefore, the Dutch coach will doubtless carry the adjustments at St Mary’s, with the precedence for Liverpool returning to successful methods at Tottenham on Sunday after two league attracts in a row.

“It’s going to be both academy gamers which can be going to get taking part in time or it’s going to be gamers that no person would count on to see within the final [defensive] line which can be going to play tomorrow,” he stated, amid a scarcity of defenders with Andrew Robertson injured and Kostas Tsimikas uncertain.

The Reds supervisor additionally confirmed Caoimhin Kelleher will begin.

open picture in gallery

open picture in gallery

One other fascinating level of notice would be the unfamiliarity of the boys barking directions on the touchlines on Wednesday. Having picked up his third yellow card of the season, Slot has to serve a touchline ban at St Mary’s, although shall be current within the stands and the dressing room.

As such, it’ll doubtless fall on assistant Sipke Hulshoff and first-team coach John Heitinga (previously of Everton) to direct the proceedings on the pitch.

There will even be a brand new voice for the hosts, following Russell Martin’s sacking after Southampton’s dismal 5-0 defeat to Tottenham. Below-21s supervisor Simon Rusk is the person tasked with motivating a depleted group of gamers, who’ve misplaced 5 of their final six matches.

There’s latest historical past worthy of mentioning right here. Southampton gave Liverpool a scare three weeks in the past earlier than Mohamed Salah impressed a comeback – after which made these shock remarks within the post-match media combined zone.

Additional, the Saints surprised quadruple-chasing Manchester Metropolis at this stage of the competitors two years in the past, with a 2-0 victory on the south coast. The one optimistic omen that gives for the guests, although, is that it freed up Pep Guardiola’s squad to go on and declare a well-known treble.

Come tomorrow evening, and maybe even the top of the season, might historical past repeat itself in additional methods than one?

Southampton v Liverpool kicks off at 8pm on Wednesday 18 December. Protection on Sky Sports activities Soccer.