Italian international omitted from Liverpool's Champions League squad, new signing included

Liverpool have officially submitted their squad list for the 2026-27 Champions League league phase, and Italian attacking midfielder Federico Chiesa is not on it. The international winger, along with Japanese midfielder Wataru Endo, has been excluded from the plans of new head coach Andoni Iraola. The Reds will kick off their European campaign at Anfield against Atletico Madrid on September 9, with the club having announced their final player registrations prior to the match. Unless adjustments are later made under UEFA's special provisions (typically involving injury replacements), both players will miss the entire league phase.

Under current UEFA rules, each participating team may submit a maximum 25-man A-list, of which eight places must be filled by "club-trained" players, and of those eight, four must have spent three full seasons with their club between the ages of 15 and 21. Young players who meet age and academy criteria can be included separately on the B-list, but neither Chiesa nor Endo qualifies for that.

Chiesa's omission, at age 28, has directly opened up a place for summer signing Victor Muñoz. Meanwhile, Conor Bradley, who had been troubled by a knee injury, has also been cleared to be included. Giovanni Leoni, who suffered an anterior cruciate ligament tear in September 2025, is also on the list, while Chiesa is currently dealing with a muscle injury, though it is not expected to keep him sidelined for long.

Endo made just eight Premier League appearances during the 2025-26 season, seven of them as a substitute. He also featured only once in Liverpool's run to the Champions League quarter-finals. Some media pundits have suggested the Reds should have further bolstered their squad depth during the transfer window, but that did not materialize. Coach Iraola has revealed that Bradley Barcola is expected to make his Liverpool debut in the upcoming match against Ipswich.

As for the Champions League draw, Liverpool received a fairly favorable set of fixtures, while Barcelona face a more difficult schedule. The Reds will play eight matches in this phase, hosting Atletico Madrid, Porto, Villarreal and Lens at home, while travelling to face Austrian side LASK, Fenerbahce, Club Brugge and Inter Milan away. Surprisingly, Liverpool have included French striker Hugo Ekitike in the squad despite him still recovering from injury. The forward's compatriot, Bradley Barcola, who completed a transfer from Paris Saint-Germain with a reported maximum fee of £123 million (around $166 million), has secured his eligibility.