Federico Chiesa Excluded from Liverpool's Champions League Squad
Federico Chiesa has been dealt another harsh Champions League setback, with the Italian winger left out of Liverpool’s squad for the upcoming league phase of the competition.
Manager Andoni Iraola has chosen to omit Chiesa from his European roster, with Japanese midfielder Wataru Endo also missing the cut. In a squad reshaped and packed with competition, the decision underlines just how ruthless selection has become at Anfield.
Another European Door Closed
For Chiesa, this has a familiar sting. He was excluded from Liverpool’s Champions League list last season as well, only returning to the European picture when compatriot Giovanni Leoni suffered a serious long-term injury.
Even that return was fleeting. The former Juventus forward made his Liverpool debut from the bench in a Champions League tie in Italy in September 2024, following his £10m initial move. Since then, continental minutes have been scarce. The stage he once looked born for keeps slipping out of reach.
This latest omission reinforces the reality of Iraola’s rebuild. Liverpool’s dressing room is stacked with attacking options, and with UEFA registration limits biting, someone was always going to lose out. This time, it is Chiesa and Endo who pay the price.
Iraola’s Ruthless Call
Iraola’s decision reflects the balancing act Liverpool must manage across a crowded season. With the club fighting on multiple fronts at home and abroad, the coaching staff have had to prioritise versatility, fitness, and tactical fit when finalising their Champions League squad.
Chiesa, still battling to establish himself fully in this new-look Liverpool side, finds himself on the outside looking in once more. Endo, too, is squeezed out as the club leans on other options to carry them through Europe’s elite competition.
The message is clear: reputation and transfer fees are no guarantees. In this Liverpool squad, every place has to be earned — and protected.
Domestic Stage or Bust
With the Champions League route blocked for now, Chiesa’s season takes on a different shape. His focus turns to domestic competitions and the daily grind at the training ground, where he must convince Iraola he belongs in the club’s strongest XI.
Liverpool face a relentless fixture list, with the calendar building toward a marquee European showdown against Inter on January 19. Chiesa will watch that clash from the sidelines unless circumstances change.
And that is where a glimmer of opportunity still lives. Last season, it took a cruel injury to Leoni for Chiesa to be drafted back into the European setup. If misfortune strikes again within the squad, registration rules could open a door later in the campaign.
Until then, the Italian forward is left with a stark challenge: turn domestic minutes into an argument Iraola cannot ignore, or watch another Champions League campaign pass him by.
