Liverpool have officially confirmed their 25-man squad for the upcoming Champions League group stage, rolling out both excitement and disappointment as Federico Chiesa and Wataru Endo have been omitted from the list. Meanwhile, Giovanni Leoni, Conor Bradley, and Hugo Ekitike have made the squad despite recent injury setbacks.
Chiesa's absence comes as no surprise after he missed the opening two matches of the Premier League season due to a muscle injury. With the recent arrivals of Bradley Barcola and Victor Munoz, the Italian forward has seen his position in the attacking hierarchy take a hit.
Wataru Endo also finds himself left off the list, having been an unused substitute during matches against Newcastle and Nottingham Forest. Liverpool's midfield selection has favoured the 22-year-old James McConnell over the Japanese international.
In an interesting turn, Liverpool have added three players to the squad who are currently on the road to recovery from long-term injuries, which could reshape their campaign later on.
Giovanni Leoni, who has been sidelined for nearly a year due to an anterior cruciate ligament tear, is close to returning to training and is expected to rejoin the squad later this month.
Conor Bradley hasn’t featured since suffering a serious knee injury in a match against Arsenal back in January, while Hugo Ekitike is also working his way back to fitness following an Achilles tendon rupture he sustained in April during a clash against Paris Saint-Germain. Notably, the Frenchman was Liverpool's top scorer last season with 17 goals.
The fact that these players have been included in the squad suggests that the coaching staff anticipates their contributions in the later stages of the Champions League once they are fully fit.
UEFA rules state that at least eight players in the squad must have come through the club’s youth system. Young talents like Rio Ngumo and Trey Nyon were not included in List A as their age allows them to be registered in List B instead.
Liverpool will kick off their Champions League campaign with a home match against Atletico next Wednesday.
🔴 Liverpool's full Champions League squad:
Goalkeepers:
Alisson, Mamardashvili, Woodman, Yaros.
Defenders:
Gomez, Van Dijk, Jaka, Kerkez, Bradley, Leoni, Tsimikas, Frimpong, Araujo, Chambers, Mabaya.
Midfielders:
Wirtz, Szoboszlai, McAllister, Munoz, Gravenberch, McConnell.
Forwards:
Isaac, Gakpo, Ekitike, Barcola.
