Chiesa and Endo Omitted from Liverpool's Champions League Squad
Liverpool’s first Champions League squad under Andoni Iraola has its first big talking point. Federico Chiesa and Wataru Endo are out. James McConnell is in.
The 25-man List A group for the league phase does not include the Italy forward or the Japan midfielder, two experienced internationals edged aside as Iraola shapes a lean, flexible squad for Europe.
Chiesa on the outside again
For Chiesa, it is an all-too-familiar feeling. Last season he was initially left off the Champions League list under Arne Slot and only found a way in when defender Giovanni Leoni suffered a serious knee injury in September.
This time, there is no late reprieve. Not yet, anyway.
Chiesa, 28, is currently sidelined but expected to return to training during the international break later this month. The problem for him runs deeper than fitness. Since arriving from Juventus in August 2024, he has struggled to establish himself as a regular starter, his Liverpool career stuttering rather than exploding into life.
Leaving a player of his pedigree out of a Champions League squad underlines how far he still has to climb in Iraola’s plans.
Endo overlooked as McConnell steps up
Endo’s omission tells its own story. At 33, the midfielder has watched the new season from the bench, an unused substitute in both of Liverpool’s league games so far. Now he finds himself outside the European group as well.
In his place, 21-year-old James McConnell gets the nod. It is a clear signal: energy and upside over experience. McConnell’s inclusion gives Iraola another young option in the middle of the pitch and rewards his rise through the ranks at a time when squad spots are at a premium.
The decision also fits within the Champions League’s squad rules. Clubs can register up to 25 List A players, with at least eight of those spots reserved for homegrown or “locally trained” players, and can top that up with an unlimited number of List B youngsters. Every senior slot counts.
Injured trio trusted for Europe
While Chiesa and Endo miss out, three long-term injury absentees make the cut. Defenders Giovanni Leoni and Conor Bradley, along with striker Hugo Ekitike, are all named in the Champions League squad despite not yet being ready to play.
Iraola, speaking before Friday night’s Premier League trip to Ipswich Town (20:00 BST), offered a hint of the medical picture. Leoni, he said, could return to training during the September international break. Bradley and Ekitike, though, remain some distance from a comeback.
Their inclusion is a calculated bet. Liverpool are backing their recovery timelines and banking on having them available for the business end of the group stage, rather than burning those slots on short-term cover.
Atletico test looms
Liverpool begin their Champions League campaign at Anfield against Atletico Madrid on Wednesday, 9 September (20:00 BST), a fixture that rarely passes quietly. Iraola will go into that opener with a squad that is bold, slightly ruthless, and clearly shaped around his ideas.
Chiesa and Endo will watch the early European nights from the outside. The question now is whether either can fight their way back onto the list if injuries or form open a door later in the season.
