Liverpool have excluded Federico Chiesa and Wataru Endo from their Champions League squad for the 2026/27 league phase of the tournament.
The Reds have played two Premier League games so far this season and face Ipswich Town in their third league match tonight before hosting Atletico Madrid at Anfield on Wednesday night.
According to James Pearce, reporting for The Athletic, Chiesa and Endo have been left out of the Reds’ 25-man squad for the league phase of the Champions League.
Pearce reports: “However, Giovanni Leoni, Conor Bradley and Hugo Ekitike have been included as they work their way back to fitness following long-term injuries.
“Italian forward Chiesa has missed the opening two Premier League games of the season due to a muscle injury and finds himself down the pecking order following the summer signings of wingers Bradley Barcola and Victor Munoz.
“Endo, who has been an unused substitute against both Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest, misses out, with James McConnell, 22, preferred among the midfielders.”
[?] Breaking: Federico Chiesa and Wataru Endo have both been left out of Liverpool’s 25-man squad for this season’s league phase of the Champions League.
Under UEFA rules, the 25 players named in List A has to include a minimum of eight ‘locally trained’ squad members.…
— Anfield Sector (@AnfieldSector) September 3, 2026
Meanwhile, Luke Chambers and Isaac Mabaya are also named among the players eligible for Liverpool in Europe this season.
Liverpool’s 25-man squad: Alisson, Mamardashvili, Woodman, Jaros; Gomez, Van Dijk, Jacquet, Kerkez, Bradley, Leoni, Tsimikas, Frimpong, Araujo, Chambers, Mabaya; Wirtz, Szoboszlai, Mac Allister, Munoz, Gravenberch, McConnell; Isak, Gakpo, Ekitike, Barcola.
Crucially, Hugo Ekitike, Conor Bradley and Giovanni Leoni will all be eligible to play when they return after being named in the squad, with Leoni set to return to training later this month.
Speaking at his press conference on Thursday, Iraola provided an injury update for the assembled reporters.
He said: “The closest one is Joe. Joe will probably start training with us next week and it has gone normally, the recovery, from a muscle injury, more or less we were expecting the time on this. I hope we can have him before the break, let’s say.
“I think the next one probably should be Giovanni Leoni. I think the plan is also to start training during the break, with the group.
“I think even Fede should be around those dates and probably Conor, and especially Hugo, will go later, yes.”