Liverpool fans’ favourite could be on the verge of international recall after two-year exile
One Liverpool player could be in line for a recall to his national team for the first time in nearly two years.
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It’s been so long since the last of Federico Chiesa’s 51 caps for Italy that he was still with Juventus when he played in the Azzurri’s 2-0 defeat to Switzerland which saw the then-title holders eliminated from Euro 2024.
His national team coach Gennaro Gattuso has maintained a constant dialogue with the 28-year-old in recent months and met with the Reds’ number 14 for dinner in London in February, with the door continuing to be left open for the forward to return to the international fold.
Chiesa in line for Italy recall for World Cup play-offs
According to Tuttosport (via Football Italia), the Liverpool attacker has received a preliminary call-up for the Italy squad for their World Cup play-off against Northern Ireland three weeks from today, although it remains to be seen whether he’ll make the final cut.
The report mentions that Chiesa’s case is ‘unique’, with the ultimate decision to be deferred until 10 days before the group convenes at the start of the international window later this month.
It’s also claimed that there’s a ‘feeling’ that the Anfield fans’ favourite will make himself available for the Azzurri this time, having opted out of previous national team fixtures.
Will Chiesa make the cut for Italy despite limited minutes at Liverpool?
Incredibly, even though it’s been eight years since Chiesa made his Italy debut, he’s never played in a World Cup, for the simple reason that his country have missed out on the two editions of the tournament to have been held in that time.
At 28, this mightn’t strictly be his last chance of playing in the sport’s showpiece international event, but he may well feel that it’s probably his best one, if he makes the cut for the play-offs (and, of course, if the Azzurri don’t fall at that hurdle for the third time in succession).
While the forward has made 29 appearances for Liverpool this season (more than double his tally from last term), he’s still had only five starts (Transfermarkt), and his limited game-time may ultimately count against him if his nation qualify for the World Cup and Gattuso is tasked with difficult squad decisions.
Ordinarily we feel mostly trepidation when Reds players line out for their national teams, but with Chiesa having had so little football under his belt, we’d welcome his inclusion in the final roster for the play-offs later this month.
Could his long-running international exile finally be coming to an end (and at an opportune time)?
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