Liverpool's Champions League Gamble: Ekitike In, Chiesa and Endo Out
Liverpool have taken a bold swing with their Champions League squad – and two big names have paid the price.
Hugo Ekitike, still working his way back from a ruptured Achilles tendon, has been handed a spot in Andoni Iraola’s 25-man list for the League Phase, despite having no confirmed return date. Federico Chiesa and Wataru Endo have not been so fortunate.
Ekitike backed for European return
Ekitike has not kicked a ball for Liverpool since suffering the serious injury in April. The France international underwent surgery and has been in rehabilitation ever since, with the club stressing on September 3 that there is no set timeline for his comeback.
Yet Iraola has chosen to believe in the striker’s recovery. As reported by BBC Sport, the Liverpool manager has included Ekitike in his Champions League squad, a clear signal that he expects – or demands – the forward to be available at some stage in the League Phase.
Liverpool’s final game in that phase comes against RC Lens at Anfield on January 27. Ekitike’s presence on the list points to a manager planning ahead for that date, and perhaps earlier, rather than writing off the 22-year-old’s season in Europe.
It is a calculated risk. A squad place is precious. Iraola has used one on a player who has not yet returned to full training, trusting that Ekitike can still influence Liverpool’s campaign under the lights.
Chiesa and Endo left on the outside
The flip side is brutal.
Chiesa and Endo have both been omitted from the 25-man group. For two established internationals, that is a loud message about their standing under Iraola.
Chiesa is currently injured, but his situation is not comparable to Ekitike’s. The Italian winger is expected to return to training after the September international break, so his absence from the European squad is not about long-term unavailability. It is about priority.
Endo, meanwhile, is fit and ready. Iraola has simply chosen not to use him. The Japan international defensive midfielder finds himself pushed to the margins, his exclusion underlining that the manager does not see him as central to Liverpool’s plans at this level.
The implications are stark. Without Champions League football and with limited prospects in domestic competitions, both Chiesa and Endo face the prospect of a season on the fringes. Their futures at Anfield already feel like they are sliding towards an inevitable decision.
Carragher’s warning rings true
The calls echo the blunt assessment made by former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher before the squad was confirmed.
Speaking on The Overlap, Carragher said: “Liverpool have got two players in the squad who are never going to play. And there are all these quotas, you can only have 17 players and all that. They have got Chiesa and Endo. It’s like they are never going to kick a ball. Endo should have been moved on. He has done great, a bit of a cult hero.”
At the time, it sounded harsh. Now it reads like a preview.
Iraola has effectively underlined Carragher’s point with his Champions League choices. Ekitike, injured but trusted, is kept in the European picture. Chiesa and Endo, available far sooner, are pushed to the edge.
Liverpool have nailed their colours to the mast. The question now is whether that faith in a recovering striker pays off before January – and what happens next for two senior players watching Europe from the stands.
