Chiesa and Endo axed from Liverpool's Champions League squad as Carragher warns duo will 'never play'

Federico Chiesa and Wataru Endo have been excluded from Liverpool’s 25-man Champions League squad submitted to UEFA, with club icon Jamie Carragher declaring the pair are “never going to play” for the club again.

The omissions rule both players out of Liverpool’s European campaign for the first half of the season, including Wednesday’s home fixture against Atlético Madrid. Despite the snub, both remain registered in Liverpool’s Premier League squad and could still feature in domestic competition.

Carragher, speaking on The Overlap, was blunt in his assessment. “Liverpool have got two players in the squad who are never going to play,” he said. “They have got Chiesa and Endo. It’s like they are never going to kick a ball.” He added that Endo, who he described as “a bit of a cult hero”, should have been moved on in the transfer window.

The decision is particularly striking given that the spots were instead allocated to Giovanni Leoni, Conor Bradley, and Hugo Ekitike — three players still recovering from long-term injuries and not expected back until later in the year — as well as 21-year-old midfielder James McConnell, who has made no first-team appearances since the 2024/25 season.

Chiesa has been absent for Liverpool’s opening two matches with a back injury and is expected to return to fitness soon, though his path to regular minutes now looks uncertain. The Italian winger made 36 appearances last season, the majority as a second-half substitute, scoring three goals.

Endo, meanwhile, missed much of last season through an ankle injury, managing just 12 appearances across all competitions. He has returned to fitness this term but was an unused substitute in Liverpool’s first two Premier League games before being passed over entirely for the European squad.

With both players still eligible for Premier League duty, Endo could make his first appearance of the season when Liverpool travel to face Ipswich Town on Friday night. Chiesa may also be handed a domestic opportunity once he has fully recovered from his back complaint.