Federico Chiesa sends message as Mohamed Salah difficulty becomes increasingly clear for Liverpool

Liverpool analysis from St Mary’s as the Reds beat Southampton 2-1 in the Carabao Cup quarter-final

Liverpool supporters have had to wait a long time to see Federico Chiesa in action. They enjoyed brief glimpses back in September, but an untimely injury and struggles with the intensity required had left him sidelined ever since.

But finally, against Southampton in the League Cup, he was deemed ready to make his long-awaited comeback. Unsurprisingly, after so long out, his 45-minute showing was full of ups and downs.

The Reds will take the positives though, with the forward’s return of three shots the joint-most on the pitch – level with Darwin Nunez. On another day, the Italian opens his Liverpool account, having twice seen efforts cleared off the line.

He first shot across goal past Alex McCarthy after being played in by Diogo Jota, before later cutting in from the left and powering a fierce strike past the shot-stopper. The latter set up a lively finish from the forward, but in truth, he was quiet in between.

His introduction had freed up Harvey Elliott to fully move into midfield after starting on the right. Making his first start of the season, the 21-year-old would mark the occasion with a well-taken goal.

But he looked much more comfortable in the engine-room, with Arne Slot admitting after the game that Elliott is a better midfielder than winger and prefers to be more involved in the thick of the action.

With Mohamed Salah afforded a rare night off, the pair offered glimpses in the final third without matching the Egyptian’s ridiculous levels on the right.

But, at the same time, they followed his example. After all, it was only a few weeks ago when the 32-year-old pointed out that he doesn’t need to be at his best for a complete 90 minutes, providing he makes the most of game-deciding moments.