Federico Chiesa and Wataru Endo have been left out Liverpool’s Champions League squad for the 2026-27 league phase.
Chiesa is currently sidelined with a muscle injury, which Liverpool do not expect to keep him out for a long period. His absence from the squad means he will not be available during the league phase unless the club are permitted to make a change to their list.
Chiesa’s omission is not simply down to injury though, because injured defenders Conor Bradley and Giovanni Leoni have been registered. Bradley has been recovering from a knee injury suffered since February, while Leoni has been out since an ACL injury in September 2025.
Hugo Ekitike has also been included despite currently being injured. The France forward is unlikely to return until the new year. Liverpool begin their European campaign against Atletico Madrid at Anfield on 9 September.
Chiesa joined Liverpool from Juventus but has struggled for a regular role. He made eight Premier League appearances last season, seven of them as a substitute, and played once in Liverpool’s run to the Champions League quarter-finals.
He was also initially omitted from the list that year but was ultimately included after injuries opened up a space.
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Endo had an even smaller role during last season’s campaign. The Japan international made no Champions League appearances. He only featured eight times in the Premier League, with seven coming from the bench.
Uefa regulations allow clubs to name a maximum of 25 players on List A, including eight locally trained players. Four of those places must be occupied by players who spent three seasons at the club between the ages of 15 and 21. Younger players who meet the relevant requirements can instead be registered on List B.
Neither Chiesa nor Endo qualifies for List B, leaving them outside Liverpool’s European squad for the league phase.
Liverpool will play eight matches in the opening stage. Atltico, Porto, Villarreal and Lens will visit Anfield, while Liverpool will travel to LASK, Fenerbahçe, Club Brugge and Inter Milan.
