'Exceptional' star has one last chance to save his Liverpool career

Liverpool are set to face Brighton in their Premier League clash on Saturday.

The Reds are going into the game on a bit of a high after their 4-0 thrashing of Galatasaray in the Champions League.

Several members of Arne Slot's first-team squad were on top form on Wednesday with the Dutchman choosing to line his men up in a different system to the one he usually uses.

Although winning the title is almost certainly out of the question, they're only two points adrift of the top four spots so a win could end up being essential.

And, since Brighton are in a decent run of form themselves, it won't be easy for Liverpool to emerge triumphant, especially since Mohamed Salah is going to be absent.

Salah's absence may seem like a bit of a bad omen but, for one of Slot's men, it could be his last chance to prove that he deserves to stay at Liverpool.

Federico Chiesa needs to step up now that Mohamed Salah is injured

If Slot has any sense, he'll continue lining his team up in the 4-4-2 formation that he used against Galatasaray on Wednesday.

The full-backs managed to keep the width and it also allowed Salah to get more chances on goal than he's been used to over the last couple of months.

Indeed, Hugo Ekitike was still the Reds' main striker but, with Salah alongside him, a lot of pressure was lifted from his shoulders.

However, now that Slot has confirmed that he's not going to be able to feature, someone such as Federico Chiesa may be asked to step up and fill the void.

And, since he's been on the chopping block for as long as many can remember, Saturday's game against the Seagulls could be the last chance he gets to prove his worth.

This is obviously a lot of pressure to put onto the Italy international but, if he wants to remain a Liverpool player for the foreseeable future, he needs to step up and prove that he has what it takes to become Salah's replacement.

Federico Chiesa still has what it takes to be an important player for Liverpool

Although Chiesa has been overlooked by Slot on more than one occasion this season, there's still an extremely talented player within him.

For the £10 million that Liverpool spent on him during the 2024-25 summer transfer window, he's managed to leave his mark and has arguably already lived up to his price tag.

However, with clubs from across the world showing an interest in him over the last couple of windows, it's hard to see why they wouldn't try and sign him again, especially with the lack of playing time he's been.

And, even though Salah's injury is only expected to be a minor problem, the fact that he isn't going to join Egypt on international duty proves that it's serious enough for fans to worry about.

So, since Alexander Isak is also side-lined due to injury, Chiesa is likely to be high on Slot's list to replace the Egyptian King.

And, if the Italian is handed a start against Brighton, he'll have 90 minutes to prove why Liverpool should keep him around.

Otherwise, it could be curtains for the "exceptional" attacker.

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