Both Federico Chiesa and Wataru Endo will not feature for Liverpool in the Champions League
Andoni Iraola before the Premier League 2026/27 match between Liverpool FC and Nottingham Forest FC at Anfield.
Andoni Iraola has omitted two senior players from his Liverpool Champions League squad. (Image: Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
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Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher has said that both Federico Chiesa and Wataru Endo will ‘never’ play for the club, after both were left out of the Champions League squad. It has led to criticism for not selling Endo in the transfer window.
Chiesa has found it hard to establish himself in the team since his move from Juventus two seasons ago. He has missed the first two games of this campaign with a lower back injury, but is expected to return later this month.
Endo has been an unused substitute for both games. But Andoni Iraola’s stance on the duo has been made clear with the naming of the Champions League squad.
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Both players have been snubbed in favour of Giovanni Leoni, Conor Bradley and Hugo Ekitike, with all three continuing their recoveries from long-term injuries and not expected back until later this year. 21-year-old midfielder James McConnell has also been included in the squad ahead of both Chiesa and Endo, despite him not making a first-team appearance since the 2024/25 season.
Speaking on The Overlap, Carragher said: "Liverpool have got two players in the squad who are never going to play.
“And there are all these quotas, you can only have 17 players and all that.
"They have got Chiesa and Endo. It’s like they are never going to kick a ball."
He added: "Endo should have been moved on. He has done great, a bit of a cult hero."
Injury limited Endo to just 12 appearances in all competitions last season. Chiesa features 36 times, scoring three goals, but most of those came as a second-half substitute from the bench.
While the duo have been left out of the squad for the Champions League - meaning that they won’t be able to feature against Atletico Madrid on Wednesday night (8pm kick-off), both players have been included in the squad submitted to the Premier League.
Endo could therefore make his first appearance of the season when Liverpool travel to Portman Road to take on Ipswich Town on Friday night (8pm kick-off). Chiesa could also feature in the Premier League when he returns from injury.
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