Liverpool have officially announced their 22-man squad for the upcoming UEFA Champions League group stage, and the headline story is the unexpected omission of Federico Chiesa.

The Italian forward, who made an immediate impact with a goal in Liverpool’s Premier League opener, will not feature in Europe—for now. So, why was he left out? Let’s break it down.

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📝 The Confirmed Squad

Liverpool’s Champions League List A includes a strong mix of experience and exciting new signings. Here’s the full 22-man selection:

🔐 Goalkeepers:
Alisson, Giorgi Mamardashvili, Freddie Woodman

🛡️ Defenders:
Joe Gomez, Wataru Endo, Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konaté, Milos Kerkez, Connor Bradley, Giovanni Leoni, Andy Robertson, Jeremie Frimpong

⚙️ Midfielders:
Florian Wirtz, Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister, Curtis Jones, Ryan Gravenberch

⚡ Forwards:
Alexander Isak, Mohamed Salah, Cody Gakpo, Hugo Ekitike, Rio Ngumoha

Meanwhile, List B—which allows clubs to register U21 players separately—features Trey Nyoni, Jayden Danns, and Stefan Bajcetic, all eligible to play without counting toward the 22-man cap.

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❓ Why Isn’t Federico Chiesa in the Squad?

At first glance, leaving out a player of Chiesa’s caliber might seem like a mistake. But the reasoning comes down to UEFA squad registration rules—specifically, the homegrown player quota.

• UEFA allows up to 25 players on List A, but clubs must include at least 8 homegrown players.
• Liverpool currently only meet five of those homegrown slots, so their List A is limited to 22 players.
• Of those 22, only 17 can be non-homegrown—and that’s where Chiesa misses out.

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🌟 Rio Ngumoha In, Chiesa Out

One of the biggest surprises was the inclusion of 17-year-old Rio Ngumoha. While he’s not considered homegrown yet (having only joined last season), his incredible pre-season form and dramatic goal in his Premier League debut made him too good to leave out.

Liverpool opted to reward Ngumoha’s momentum, which unfortunately came at Chiesa’s expense.

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🔮 What This Means Going Forward

This isn’t the end of Chiesa’s European journey with Liverpool. The club will have a chance to update their Champions League squad ahead of the knockout stages, and Chiesa is widely expected to be reinstated—provided he stays fit and in form.

The decision appears to be strategic rather than performance-related, reflecting Liverpool’s commitment to youth development and long-term squad planning.

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✅ Final Thoughts

While fans may be disappointed not to see Federico Chiesa in Liverpool’s Champions League squad, the logic behind the decision is sound. With UEFA’s tight homegrown rules and a wealth of attacking options, someone had to miss out.

And for now, it’s a bet on youth—Rio Ngumoha’s rise has just begun, and Chiesa’s time in Europe may only be paused, not ended.

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What are your thoughts on the squad? Should Chiesa have made the cut? Let’s talk in the comments below. 👇