Liverpool’s Federico Chiesa Excluded From champions League Squad Despite Injury Rule Change
Istanbul, Turkey – Federico Chiesa has been left out of Liverpool’s 21-man squad for their Champions League campaign, a surprising decision made possible by a recent UEFA directive allowing for squad adjustments due to long-term injuries. Despite the availability of this roster spot following a season-ending ACL injury to Giovanni Leoni, manager Arne Slot opted not to include the Italian forward in the travelling party to istanbul.
The omission is especially notable as Chiesa endured a debut season on Merseyside hampered by fitness concerns. However,according to The Athletic’s James Pearce,Chiesa is currently fully fit; his exclusion is a “selection decision” made by slot. this means the club utilized the UEFA rule change to register other players, prioritizing options like Cody gakpo and Rio Ngumoha on the left flank, with Mohamed Salah as the sole right-sided forward selected for the competition.
Liverpool were able to leverage a new UEFA rule following Leoni’s ACL injury to add a player to their champions League list. The club has also made Hugo Ekitiké available after the forward served a domestic suspension during the weekend’s defeat to Crystal Palace, and Alexander Isak is in contention to lead the attack.
Slot’s full squad list includes:
Goalkeepers: [List not provided in source]
Defenders: [List not provided in source]
Midfielders: [List not provided in source]
Forwards: Cody Gakpo, Rio Ngumoha, Mohamed Salah, Hugo Ekitiké, Alexander isak [List may be incomplete based on source]
