Liverpool have left a fan favourite out of their Champions League squad due to UEFA rulings for the upcoming campaign.
The first matches of the 2025-26 Champions League season will take place after the international break and teams have now named their squads, but have faced making awkward omissions due to UEFA restrictions.
There are 17 slots available for players who do not qualify as homegrown, with teams able to name 25 players in total, though four must have been trained by clubs in the same league and four by the club itself.
Tottenham, for example, have left out one of their big-name summer signings, and Chelsea have awkwardly omitted a player who said when he signed last week that he was excited to play in the competition.
And it’s no different for Liverpool. The Reds have named a 22-man squad – three short of that permitted, leaving three spots of homegrown players empty.
That means one big name is absent – and that is Federico Chiesa. The forward was linked with a move away from Anfield in the summer and has found game time hard to come by, and there is now one competition he won’t be playing in at all.
Chiesa was Liverpool’s only arrival last summer but it was a frustrating campaign for the winger.
Fitness issues and difficulty breaking into the starting line-up meant his game time was severely limited.
There were flashes of his undoubted talent, including a goal in the League Cup final, but he was also part of the dismal FA Cup exit against Plymouth.
This season, he has come off the bench for the Reds in all three of their Premier League matches so far.
All of this summer’s new signings, including Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong and Hugo Ekitike have made the cut, as well as deadline day arrival Alexander Isak. If Isak did not sign, Chiesa could have been included.
Another notable name included is 17-year-old Rio Ngumoha. The winger has been involved with the first team squad this term, and netted a dramatic late winner against Newcastle a little over a week ago.
Despite his age, Ngumoha only joined Liverpool from Chelsea last summer, so does not qualify as home grown.
The likes of Curtis Jones, Joe Gomez and Andy Robertson do, though, in one way or another.
Six-time champions Liverpool are looking to better their result from last season that saw them crash out on penalties in the last-16 to eventual winners PSG.
Arne Slot’s side will kick of their campaign at home to Atletico Madrid on September 17, while they will also face the likes of Real Madrid and Inter Milan in the league phase.
Having qualified as Premier League champions, the Reds are among the favourites to win the competition.
Changes can be made to squads in February ahead of the knockout stage. Players under the age of 21 that have been at the club for over two years can also play, as can any academy players.
