Liverpool saw more big names depart in the summer, although club legend Jamie Carragher believes two more who are 'never going to kick a ball' should have been offloaded
NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, ENGLAND - AUGUST 23: Andoni Iraola manager / head coach of Liverpool applauds the fans at full time following the Premier League 2026/27 match between Newcastle United and Liverpool FC at St James' Park on August 23, 2026 in Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom. (Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images)
Andoni Iraola has been told two of his Liverpool players won't even play this season(Image: Getty Images)
Liverpool icon Jamie Carragher has declared that both Federico Chiesa and Wataru Endo will 'never' feature for the club again, following their omission from the Champions League squad — a decision that has drawn sharp criticism over the failure to offload Endo during the transfer window.
Chiesa has struggled to cement his place in the side since arriving from Juventus two seasons ago. The Italian winger has sat out the opening two fixtures of this campaign with a lower back injury, though he is anticipated to make his return later this month.
Endo, meanwhile, has been an unused substitute for both games. However, Andoni Iraola's position on the pair has been made abundantly clear through the composition of the Champions League squad.
Both players have been overlooked in favor of Giovanni Leoni, Conor Bradley and Hugo Ekitike, all three of whom are continuing their rehabilitation from long-term injuries and are not expected to return until later in the year.
21-year-old midfielder James McConnell has also been handed a squad place ahead of both Chiesa and Endo, despite having made no first-team appearances since the 2024/25 season, reports the Liverpool Echo.
Addressing the matter on The Overlap, Carragher said: "Liverpool have got two players in the squad who are never going to play.
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - APRIL 02: (THE SUN OUT, THE SUN ON SUNDAY OUT) Federico Chiesa and Wataru Endo of Liverpool react, during the warm up prior to the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Everton FC at Anfield on April 02, 2025 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
Federico Chiesa and Wataru Endo have both been left out of Liverpool's Champions League squad(Image: Getty Images)
"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."
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Injuries restricted Endo to a mere 12 outings across all competitions last season. Chiesa made 36 appearances, netting three goals, though the majority of those came as a second-half substitute.
Both players have been omitted from Liverpool's Champions League squad, ruling them out of Wednesday's clash with Atletico Madrid. However, the pair have been included in the club's Premier League squad submission.
As a result, Endo could make his first appearance of the campaign when Liverpool heads to Portman Road to face Ipswich Town on Friday. Chiesa, meanwhile, could also return to Premier League action once he has recovered from his injury lay-off.