When Liverpool FC set their travel roster for their tour of the Far East, you saw two notable omissions- Federico Chiesa and Jayden Danns. We start with the later, as it appears he’s injured. Danns missed out on the 5-0 rout of Stoke City, which was held behind closed doors. He was expected to get major playing time this summer preseason, including here in Hong Kong, so we’ll wait for an update from the club on his status. Chiesa is a much different situation. The club said he’s missing out due to a “small issue,” but we know it’s not a fitness thing.
It’s obvious that he’s staying back to work on finding a new club, which will almost certainly be back in Italy.
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Liverpool FC vs AC Milan
Kickoff: Saturday July 26, 12:30pm, Kai Tak Sports Park, Hong Kong
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Chiesa came from Juventus, he is an Italian international, and all six of the clubs currently linked to him, Atalanta, Como, AS Roma, a return to Juve, Napoli and AC Milan, are Serie A clubs. Yes, AC Milan indeed. The two sides could work on negotiating with each other right here on this tour! Chiesa was a signing that just didn’t work out for Anfield.
There was simply never a true spot for him, and now a transfer is best for all involved. Finally, Alexis Mac Allister missed the first two preseason friendlies, as he was recovering from the injury that ended his season early in 2024-25.
However, he’s resumed training, and made the journey to the other side of the world. He’ll feature in some capacity here.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter