Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk praised new signing Federico Chiesa after his cameo in the 1-3 victory over AC Milan. The Reds have bounced back immediately with the Champions League victory after losing 0-1 to Nottingham Forest in the weekend.

Liverpool started the season strongly before the September international break, winning three Premier League games in a row without conceding. However, the surprise loss against Nottingham at Anfield provided a reality check to the Reds as they struggled with complacency.

Despite the restructuring of upper management and managerial transition, Liverpool opted against making multiple signings in the summer transfer window. As new head coach Arne Slot succeeded Jurgen Klopp, many fans wanted Liverpool to back Slot in the transfer market.

However, Liverpool only signed Federico Chiesa during the summer while adding Giorgi Mamardashvili from Valencia for the 2025-26 season. Fans are eagerly waiting for Chiesa to make his first start for the club as he continues to train and adjust.

Speaking to the media after the Champions League victory (via DaveOCKOP), Van Dijk highlighted the positive first impression of Chiesa. He said:

“So far, what I have seen, a very good boy, a very good player. He wants to fight for the club. He will get his chances and he will be important for us. I am very happy he made his debut tonight.”

The Italy international made a very late cameo against Milan, coming on as a straight substitution for legend Mohamed Salah. Chiesa and Salah will compete for the right-wing position this season and have a lot of opportunities to start games.

Liverpool received the toughest fixture in the new Champions League format which adds more games to the current season’s schedule. Slot will use the rotation policy to counter the congested fixture and maintain the fitness of the senior team players.

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Liverpool suffered immensely from the severe injury crisis last season that played a mitigating factor in their late downfall. They cannot afford to suffer the same problems again and a strong depth in the squad will play a crucial role.