“My day has become slightly darker”, “This guy stresses me” - Fans baffled as 27-year-old Liverpool star misses Bournemouth clash

Fans on social media shared their surprise after Liverpool's starting lineup was released ahead of their Premier League clash against Bournemouth on Saturday. The fans were looking forward to seeing Federico Chiesa start, but the 27-year-old winger is not even a part of the matchday squad.

Chiesa has had a difficult start to life at Anfield this season. Since arriving from Juventus in the summer, he has struggled with fitness issues. He has been unable to make a big impact on the high-flying team. He has made just three Premier League appearances, with all coming from the bench for a combined 25 minutes of football.

Liverpool's attack has not suffered in Chiesa's absence. On the contrary, they enter the weekend as the best goalscoring team in the league, having picked up 54 goals in just 22 games. Chiesa has made just two appearances from the starting lineup this season, despite making nine total appearances. He has racked up just 280 minutes, scoring a goal and providing two assists.

Fans were hoping to see more of his talent, and they are not particularly pleased to see him out of the team entirely. They shared comments like these on X:

"No Chiesa to join in the goal celebrations? My day has become slightly darker." a fan was sad.

"Where is chiesa this guy stresses me men" another fan was upset.

"Where’s chiesa" a fan demanded.

"WHY NO CHIESA" another complained.

"What happened to Chiesa???" this fan was not happy.

"No chiesa 😭" another added.

"Chiesa left out smh" this fan did not like his absence.

"at least chiesa deserved at bench than nothing" another said.

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What Liverpool boss Arne Slot has said about Federico Chiesa

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot has spoken about Federico Chiesa, with the Italy international struggling to find minutes at Anfield. Injuries have hampered the forward this season, and questions have been raised about the part he has to play for the Reds.

Arne Slot addressed this issue in his press conference ahead of the Bournemouth game, discussing Chiesa's readiness for minutes. He said (via the club website):

"Yeah, of course he is ready for more minutes in the Premier League, because if he can play 90 at Champions League level then you are able to play an amount of minutes in the Premier League.

"His main problem, if you want to call it a problem, is that he is in competition with Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez, Cody Gakpo, Mo Salah and Diogo Jota. I think you’ll agree with me that they are doing quite well also..."

Liverpool will retain their position at the top of the Premier League table, irrespective of their result against Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium.