Liverpool omit Chiesa and Endo from Champions League squad

Liverpool have left Federico Chiesa and Wataru Endo out of their Champions League squad, while registering new signings Hugo Ekitike and Giovanni Leoni for their European campaign.

Liverpool will compete in the next edition of the Champions League and have been drawn to face Atletico Madrid at home, Inter away, Porto at home, Club Brugge away, Villarreal at home, Fenerbahce away, Lens at home and LASK away during the league phase.

Liverpool head coach Andoni Iraola has also included defender Leoni, right-back Conor Bradley and forward Ekitike in the squad submitted to UEFA.

Chiesa missed Liverpool’s first two matches of the season because of a muscle injury. Endo, meanwhile, appeared as a substitute against Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest but has not been included in the European selection.

Iraola has opted to include several younger players, with midfielder James McConnell named alongside academy graduates Luke Chambers and Isaac Mabaya. The squad contains 11 defenders, according to the submitted list.

Liverpool are awaiting the return of Leoni, Bradley and Ekitike to full training after each player suffered an injury.

Italian defender Leoni is expected to resume training later this month after being sidelined for almost a year with an anterior cruciate ligament injury.

Bradley has not played since suffering a knee injury against Arsenal in January, while Ekitike sustained an Achilles tendon tear against Paris Saint-Germain in April.

Ekitike was Liverpool’s leading scorer last season, finishing the campaign with 17 goals.

UEFA regulations require clubs to name a 25-man squad for the Champions League, including at least eight locally trained players. Youngsters such as Rio Ngumoha and Trey Nyoni are not counted within that limit and can instead be registered on the B list.

Liverpool’s submitted squad is:

Goalkeepers: Alisson Becker, Giorgi Mamardashvili, Freddie Woodman, Vitezslav Jaros.

Defenders: Joe Gomez, Virgil van Dijk, Jeremie Jacquet, Ronald Araujo, Giovanni Leoni, Isaac Mabaya, Milos Kerkez, Kostas Tsimikas, Luke Chambers, Conor Bradley, Isaac Mabaya, Jeremie Frimpong.

Midfielders: Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister, Victor Munoz, Ryan Gravenberch, James McConnell, Florian Wirtz.

Forwards: Alexander Isak, Cody Gakpo, Hugo Ekitike, Bradley Barcola.