Liverpool have headed to Italy today with a 21-man travelling squad when they could have taken 22 players, and the odd man out is in-form forward Federico Chiesa.

However, despite earlier eyebrow-raising reports suggesting there were no fitness or injury issues involved in his omission and that the 27-year-old Italian had been left out by choice by manager Arne Slot, it appears that is not in fact the case.

“He got a little niggle, I think it is the word you use here in England, in the last game against Palace,” Slot said at his pre-match press conference when he was inevitably asked about Chiesa’s absence.

“He tried it today, he was on the pitch in the beginning but he couldn’t end the session, so we decided not to take him because in a few days it’s Chelsea again.”

Chiesa has been the club’s second most in-form attacker this season after summer striker signing Hugo Ekitike, who himself has hit the ground running—up until, at least, he picked up a regrettable second yellow and one-match ban for removing his shirt in celebration in the League Cup last week.

Ekitike will be back to face Galatasaray tomorrow—and back for the weekend’s league tie with Chelsea—and it will be interesting to see what Slot does to try to get the rest of his misfiring attacking group going.