Liverpool Names Ekitike in Champions League Squad, Cuts Chiesa and Endo
Liverpool have taken a bold gamble on Hugo Ekitike’s recovery, naming the injured striker in their 25-man Champions League squad while cutting out two established senior players in Federico Chiesa and Wataru Endo.
Ekitike has not kicked a ball for the club since rupturing his Achilles tendon in April. The France international underwent surgery and has been working his way back ever since, with Liverpool making it clear as recently as September 3 that there is no fixed return date for the 22-year-old.
No timetable. But a clear message.
Andoni Iraola believes he will have Ekitike back in time to matter in Europe.
The Liverpool manager has pushed the former Paris Saint-Germain forward into his European plans for the League Phase, as confirmed by BBC Sport, despite the long-term nature of the injury. Liverpool’s final League Phase fixture comes against RC Lens at Anfield on January 27, a date that now hangs over Ekitike’s rehab like a finish line.
His inclusion points to one thing: Iraola expects, or at least demands, that the Frenchman is ready to contribute by then.
Chiesa and Endo frozen out
The flip side of that faith is brutal. Chiesa and Endo are out.
Iraola has chosen to omit both the Italian winger and the Japan international midfielder from his 25-man squad, a ruthless call that underlines their slipping status at Anfield.
Chiesa is currently sidelined, but his situation is very different to Ekitike’s. The Italy star is anticipated to return to training after the September international break, a relatively short absence in comparison. Even that, though, has not been enough to secure him a Champions League place.
Endo, by contrast, is fully fit. Available. Training. Waiting. And still overlooked.
This is not about injury. It is about preference. Iraola has made it plain with his selection that he does not see the 31-year-old as part of his core group for Europe, and the knock-on effect is likely to be felt in domestic competitions as well.
Both Chiesa and Endo now face the prospect of limited minutes across the season. For two players of their stature and experience, the outlook is stark. Their Liverpool futures, already under scrutiny, now look increasingly fragile.
Carragher’s warning rings true
The decision lands just weeks after Jamie Carragher’s blunt assessment of the pair’s prospects. Speaking on The Overlap, the former Liverpool defender did not sugarcoat his view.
“Liverpool have got two players in the squad who are never going to play,” he said. “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, those words sounded harsh. Now they sound prophetic.
Iraola’s Champions League list backs up Carragher’s claim with cold, administrative reality. One player with a ruptured Achilles makes the cut. Two fit or near-fit senior internationals do not.
For Ekitike, it is a show of faith and a challenge rolled into one: win the race against time and repay the trust. For Chiesa and Endo, it feels like something else entirely.
A line in the sand.
