Gattuso Sends Chiesa Home from Italy Squad, Labels Decision "Useless" to Keep Him

Italy manager Gennaro Gattuso has opted to send Federico Chiesa home from the international camp, insisting it made no sense to keep the Liverpool winger around given his current condition and mindset.

Chiesa arrived at the squad for the first time since Euro 2024 but departed the Florence training base before the opening session following medical assessments. The Italian Football Federation confirmed the departure, stating: "In agreement with his club, he has left the squad."

The 26-year-old has endured a torrid spell since his summer 2024 move to Anfield, managing just two Premier League starts. Prior to this call-up, he had requested not to be included in Italy selections, only to be recalled as Gattuso prepares the Azzurri for their World Cup play-off showdown.

Gattuso outlined his reasoning during Monday's press conference: "He had some minor physical issues and we decided that it was useless for him to stay."

When pressed on why Chiesa received the boot while other injured players—Sandro Tonali, Gianluca Scamacca, and Alessandro Bastoni—remained with the squad to boost team morale, the AC Milan legend was candid: "Because not every player has the same frame of mind. When I hear that someone is wavering that's when I know I need to make a choice. We decided it together. He felt he wasn't up to it and he went home. I need to accept it."

It's a far cry from Chiesa's Euro 2020 heroics, when he earned Team of the Tournament recognition as Italy claimed the crown. His career trajectory has since flatlined at both club and country level.

The stakes couldn't be higher for Italy's immediate future. Two qualifying defeats to Norway have left them in a precarious position heading into Thursday's home clash with Northern Ireland in Bergamo. A victory there followed by a positive result against either Wales or Bosnia and Herzegovina next week is essential to secure World Cup qualification for North America. Failure would condemn the Azzurri to a 16-year absence from the tournament.

Gattuso acknowledged the weight of the situation but demanded his squad maintain composure. "It's undeniable that there's nervousness," he said. "Only someone without blood running through their veins wouldn't feel it. But we need to do a good job of transmitting a lot of positivity.

"There are no alibis. It's useless to think if we could have done better. The only thing we should be thinking about is Thursday's game. Forget that we've won four World Cups, two Euros and an Olympic title. For us, the only game is Thursday's.

"All of the players that are here today know what we're playing for and how important it is."