Liverpool reject Hugo Ekitike replacement as UEFA rule leaves Andoni Iraola short for Champions League

Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola has opted against replacing injured Hugo Ekitike in his UEFA Champions League squad, despite facing a growing selection crisis ahead of Wednesday’s trip to LASK.

The Reds are expected to have only 15 senior players available for the matchday squad as injuries continue to disrupt Iraola’s early months on Merseyside.

UEFA regulations allow clubs to make one change to their Champions League squad when a player is ruled out through injury or illness for at least two months. However, Liverpool have decided against using that provision to remove Ekitike, preferring to preserve the possibility of his return for the final two league-phase fixtures in January.

The decision leaves Iraola with limited options as Liverpool seek to recover from their disappointing 3-0 defeat to Manchester City in the Premier League at the weekend.

Liverpool face growing injury crisis

Liverpool’s injury problems have significantly reduced the manager’s options ahead of their European assignment in Austria.

Giovanni Leoni, Conor Bradley and Ekitike remain sidelined with long-term injuries, while Alexander Isak, Cody Gakpo and Dominik Szoboszlai are also unavailable after picking up injuries while on international duty.

The latter trio are expected to return for Liverpool’s weekend trip to Brentford, offering some hope of relief for Iraola as he attempts to navigate a congested fixture schedule.

However, their absence against LASK leaves the Spaniard with a depleted squad at a critical stage of the Champions League campaign.

The situation is further complicated by the exclusion of Wataru Endo and Federico Chiesa from Liverpool’s registered Champions League squad. Neither player is available to provide additional cover for Wednesday’s encounter.

Why Liverpool are keeping Ekitike

Despite the immediate need for reinforcements, Liverpool have chosen to retain Ekitike’s place in their European squad rather than use UEFA’s injury replacement provision.

The decision reflects the club’s longer-term planning, with the French forward potentially returning in time to feature in the final two league-phase matches in January if his recovery progresses as expected.

Removing him now could create an immediate solution to Iraola’s selection problems, but Liverpool appear unwilling to sacrifice the possibility of having him available for the closing stages of the league phase.

Under UEFA’s regulations, clubs can replace a player who is expected to be unavailable for at least two months because of injury or illness. The replacement must meet the competition’s eligibility requirements, and the change is subject to the relevant rules.

With Ekitike the only player whose situation currently allows Liverpool to consider such a move, the club have effectively chosen to preserve his place rather than make a short-term adjustment.

Iraola seeks response after City defeat

Liverpool’s European assignment offers an opportunity to respond after their heavy loss to Manchester City exposed the difficulties Iraola faces during his early spell in charge.

The Reds began their Champions League campaign positively, beating Atletico Madrid 2-1 at Anfield last month. They will now look to build on that result against LASK, despite the limited personnel available.

Iraola has maintained a positive outlook amid the setbacks, but the scale of the injury crisis could complicate Liverpool’s preparations for the Austrian side.

With several key players unavailable and two others omitted from the Champions League squad, the manager must find a way to balance his limited resources while keeping the team competitive on multiple fronts.

Liverpool’s decision to retain Ekitike could prove valuable if he recovers in time for January’s fixtures. For now, however, Iraola must manage Wednesday’s challenge without him and hope his available players can deliver the response required after the setback against Manchester City.