Federico Chiesa Faces Fitness Test for Italy Recall Amid Limited Liverpool Minutes

Federico Chiesa’s route back into Italy’s squad runs through fitness and regular playing time, and he’s short on both at Liverpool. National team coach Roberto Mancini says the 29-year-old remains in his plans, but Chiesa has made only one brief appearance for Liverpool this season. That gap between international ambition and club opportunity is the central problem: a coach can keep a player in view, but he can’t build a selection case on potential alone.

Mancini keeps the door open

Chiesa’s last Italy appearance came two months before he joined Liverpool from Juventus in August 2024. Since then, he’s struggled to establish himself under Arne Slot and Andoni Iraola, with his involvement this season especially limited. He’s played just two minutes, coming on late in the defeat to Manchester City after recovering from a back injury.

Two minutes can put a player back on the pitch, but they say little about whether he’s ready to handle the pace and demands of a full match. That’s the distinction in Mancini’s comments: the door is open, yet Chiesa still has to show he can recover his fitness through sustained competition. The coach’s interest is encouraging, but it doesn’t remove the practical hurdle.

Mancini has spoken with Chiesa several times, including recently. “Right now, he isn’t playing and needs to regain his fitness and get back into shape,” he said, according to the Liverpool Echo. He added that Chiesa is “still in the prime of his physical maturity” and believes the forward could return to Italy’s squad soon. That’s a vote of confidence, though “soon” depends on what happens at club level.

Minutes are the bigger obstacle

Chiesa has been included in the matchday squad for only four of Liverpool’s 16 games this season. The limited opportunities have left him behind younger forward Lewis Koumas in the pecking order, making it difficult for him to build the match sharpness Mancini says he needs. Being named among the substitutes offers proximity to the action, but it doesn’t provide the rhythm that comes from playing regularly.

For a forward, match sharpness involves more than general conditioning. It comes from repeated decisions under pressure: when to make a run, how to time a press, and how quickly to react when possession changes. Training can help maintain readiness, but it can’t fully reproduce those match situations. This is more significant than it looks: Chiesa’s path back to Italy may depend less on a single standout performance than on a steady run of minutes.

Reports suggest Liverpool could consider a January sale if a suitable offer arrives. A move might give Chiesa a better chance to play regularly, though his immediate future remains uncertain. It would also involve a trade-off: leaving could open a route to more action, but the source offers no indication that a transfer is settled or that another club is ready to make a move.

What a possible move could change

If you’re working in this space, the club and national team timelines are worth watching together. Mancini’s comments keep Chiesa’s international prospects alive, while Liverpool’s selection decisions will determine whether he can gather the evidence needed for a recall. A change of club could help if it brings regular football, but the move itself wouldn’t guarantee either fitness or a place in Italy’s squad.

And this is the part most people overlook: Mancini’s support is not the same as a promise of selection. The coach has identified the conditions Chiesa needs to meet, and those conditions are mostly outside the national team camp’s control. A return to the squad remains possible. First, the minutes.

Leoni also remains on Mancini’s radar

Mancini has also been monitoring Liverpool defender Giovanni Leoni, travelling to England in recent weeks to watch the teenager, who’s been sidelined by a long-term injury. The two cases share a national team connection, but Chiesa’s immediate challenge is different: he needs playing time to regain rhythm, while Leoni is currently unavailable because of injury.

Chiesa remains on the Italy coach’s radar, then, but the route back is conditional. He’ll need to recover his fitness and earn meaningful minutes at Liverpool or elsewhere before a recall becomes realistic. Until that changes, Mancini’s interest is a signal of possibility, not evidence that Chiesa is close to returning.