"Slot, what did he do to you?", "Not picking him is just baffling" - Fans question Liverpool star's exclusion from XI for Frankfurt UCL clash

Liverpool fans are questioning Arne Slot on X after he excluded Federico Chiesa from the starting XI to face Eintracht Frankfurt. The two sides are set to lock horns in the UEFA Champions League group stage at the Deutsche Bank Park later tonight (Wednesday, October 22).

Giorgi Mamardashvili starts in goal for the Reds ahead of the injured Alisson Becker. Jeremie Frimpong, Ibrahima Konate, Virgil van Dijk, and Andy Robertson make up the defense. The midfield comprises of Curtis Jones, Dominik Szoboszlai, and Florian Wirtz. Cody Gakpo, Hugo Ekitike, and Alexander Isak start up front to complete the starting XI.

With the likes of Isak and Mohamed Salah being out of form, Chiesa has arguably been one of Liverpool's most impressive attackers this season. Despite playing just 171 minutes on the pitch, the 27-year-old has scored two goals and provided three assists in seven appearances across all competitions. However, his only start this season was in the EFL Cup against Southampton.

Many fans were expecting Slot to give Chiesa a chance to impress against Frankfurt. However, the Italy international has been named on the bench, along with Salah.

One fan posted:

"It's so close to perfect, but not picking Chiesa is just baffling now"

Another fan tweeted:

"Slot man what did Chiesa do to you?"

Other fans reacted below:

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"We are ready to show a reaction" - Szoboszlai delivers confident verdict to fans ahead of Liverpool's UCL clash against Eintracht Frankfurt

Liverpool midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai is confident that the Reds will be able to show a reaction and return to winning ways ahead of their Champions League fixture against Eintracht Frankfurt.

Despite having made a strong start to the season, Arne Slot and Co. have struggled in recent weeks, losing four games in a row across all competitions. Additionally, they suffered a shock 2-1 loss against bitter rivals Manchester United at Anfield over the weekend.

Szoboszlai told Liverpoolfc.com:

"I think [it] never happened in my career but [also in] a lot of guys' careers that we lost four times in a row. So, now we have to stick together, that's most important. We had a lot of meetings, we spoke with each other, but the most important [thing] is that we stay together."

He added:

"Because in a good time it's easy to stay together but it's the most important thing when it comes to a hard time, how we stay together. I think for Wednesday we are ready to show a reaction and that's what we are going to do."

Liverpool are currently 18th in the Champions League standings with three points from two games, six points behind leaders Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), with a game in hand.

Edited by Silas Sud