Liverpool have left Wataru Endo and Federico Chiesa out of their squad for the Champions League league phase, while including three players who are currently injured.
Journalist James Pearce reports that Endo and Chiesa will not feature on Liverpool’s European squad list. However, Hugo Ekitike, Giovanni Leoni and Conor Bradley have all been included despite their current injuries.
Liverpool are expected to have all three injured players available again before the league phase reaches its conclusion. Their inclusion means the club have retained places for them in the squad even though they are not currently fit to play.
The Champions League league-phase fixtures will take place between 9 September and 27 January. Liverpool’s opponents are Atletico de Madrid, LASK, Villarreal, Fenerbahce, Club Brugge, Porto, Inter Milan and Lens.
The club’s decision leaves Endo and Chiesa outside the European group of players selected for those matches. Both have been omitted while the injured Ekitike, Leoni and Bradley remain listed, with their recoveries expected to be completed before the end of the league phase.
Liverpool’s Champions League campaign will therefore include eight fixtures against opponents from Spain, Austria, France, Turkey, Belgium, Portugal and Italy. The schedule begins on 9 September and runs through to 27 January, when the league-phase programme is due to finish.
Ekitike, Leoni and Bradley are expected to return in time to contribute during that period, according to the information surrounding Liverpool’s squad announcement. Their inclusion indicates that the club believe their injuries will not prevent them from taking part before the European league phase comes to an end.
Endo and Chiesa, meanwhile, will not be available as part of Liverpool’s registered Champions League squad for those matches. The decision has been reported by Pearce as Liverpool finalised their list for the competition.
Liverpool reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League in the previous campaign. Their run ended at that stage when they were beaten by Paris Saint-Germain.
The new league-phase campaign will give Liverpool eight different opponents, with matches scheduled over a period lasting from September until January. Atletico de Madrid, LASK, Villarreal, Fenerbahce, Club Brugge, Porto, Inter Milan and Lens are the teams listed to face them.
The squad selection combines players who are currently available with three injured footballers who are expected to recover before the final league-phase fixtures. Endo and Chiesa are the notable omissions from Liverpool’s European list, while Ekitike, Leoni and Bradley have been included despite their present fitness concerns.
