Just when it felt like Andoni Iraola was beginning to regain some vital squad depth ahead of a grueling winter schedule,European travel day brought another unwelcome curveball to the AXA Training Centre.
Liverpool have officially confirmed their 22-man travelling squad on Tuesday morning ahead of their flight to Turkiye for Wednesday’s late afternoon Champions League kickoff (17:45 GMT) against Fenerbahçe. The team is scheduled to hold a training session at the ?ükrü Saraco?lu Stadium at 4:30pm (GMT) following pre-match press conference duties handled by head coach Iraola and forward Cody Gakpo.
The match presents an emotional storyline on the touchline, as Liverpool come up against legendary former Anfield favourite Dirk Kuyt, who is currently serving as interim manager for the Turkish Süper Lig side.
Having taken a maximum nine points from their opening three European matches against Atlético Madrid, LASK, and Villarreal, Liverpool find themselves in a commanding position in the league phase table giving Iraola scope to rotate key personnel amidst a dense fixture list.
### Official Confirmation: Gravenberch Left Behind on Merseyside
The only notable omission from Liverpool’s confirmed 22-man travelling party is midfielder Ryan Gravenberch, who has been ruled out due to a heel injury.
The 24-year-old Dutchman—who sat on the bench as an unused substitute during Sunday’s 1-0 defeat to Arsenal—did not board the flight to Istanbul and is instead remaining at Kirkby to undergo intensive treatment and assessment with the club’s medical staff.
Explaining his decision to leave the midfielder out on Sunday, Iraola told _BBC Sport_:
> _“We had also the situation with Ryan. He had some issues in the heel. Let’s see if we can count with him for the next game, but we didn’t want also to risk Ryan.”_
Addressing the media further in Tuesday afternoon’s pre-match press conference, Iraola elaborated on the nature of the issue, confirming it involves the plantar fascia and that no firm return timeline can be set before Sunday’s Premier League trip to Crystal Palace:
> **“I don’t know, it’s a day-to-day thing because it’s the fascia in the heel, it’s about the pain. He’s been in some discomfort.**
>
> **“He was warming up \[against Arsenal\] and was not fully confident. He hasn’t improved since then.**
>
> **“It’s going to be something that every day we ask him, every day we see how he is. If he can be available for the weekend, lovely, it would be a very good help for us. But I cannot tell you right now.”**
Gravenberch will remain back on Merseyside alongside Federico Chiesa and Wataru Endo, both of whom were omitted from Liverpool’s registered Champions League squad for the autumn phase (though both remain eligible for re-registration in early 2027 should the Reds progress to the knockout rounds).
Key defenders Giovanni Leoni, Jeremie Frimpong, Conor Bradley, and striker Hugo Ekitike also remain back home as expected as they continue their respective injury rehabilitation programs.
**Position**
**Players Included**
**Goalkeepers**
Alisson, Giorgi Mamardashvili, Freddie Woodman
**Defenders**
Joe Gomez, Virgil van Dijk, Jérémy Jacquet, Milos Kerkez, Kostas Tsimikas, Ronald Araújo, Luke Chambers
**Midfielders**
Alexis Mac Allister, Trey Nyoni, James McConnell, Florian Wirtz, Dominik Szoboszlai
**Forwards**
Alexander Isak, Cody Gakpo, Victor Muñoz, Bradley Barcola, Lewis Koumas, Rio Ngumoha, Jayden Danns
### Youth Opportunity: Danns, Nyoni, and Midfield Options
While senior absences stretch squad depth, they open vital doors for Liverpool’s emerging academy talents. Luke Chambers, James McConnell, and 20-year-old striker Jayden Danns have all travelled to Istanbul.
Danns has been named on the bench for all three of Liverpool’s European matches so far this term as he works his way back to full match sharpness following an unfortunate pre-season setback. Iraola recently offered an encouraging update on the young forward’s trajectory:
> **“With Jayden the problem has been, until now this season, the availability. He got injured just before starting pre-season, I was here with the under-21s, then has had some setbacks and has been in and out.**
>
> **“I think he’s now building some good minutes, he also scored the other day, he’s in a good place. He’s been with us mostly in the European games and I hope he continues progressing and he pushes to fight for minutes.”**
In central midfield, Gravenberch’s absence leaves Iraola weighing up several structural tweaks:
For those of us watching this side travel across Europe, losing Gravenberch right as the winter calendar heats up is a frustration especially with heel injuries being so notoriously difficult to predict.
However, sitting on nine points from nine in Europe gives Liverpool a fantastic foundation. Facing Dirk Kuyt’s Fenerbahçe in the cauldron of the ?ükrü Saraco?lu Stadium will test the mettle of Iraola’s rotated side, but it also gives youngsters like Nyoni and Danns an invaluable stage to prove they belong at the very highest level.
If Mac Allister and Szoboszlai can control the tempo in midfield, Liverpool have more than enough fire-power to secure their fourth consecutive European win and lock down early qualification for the knockout rounds.