Liverpool have confirmed their 22-man squad for the revamped Champions League league stage, with Federico Chiesa the most notable absentee.
The six-time winners, who qualified as Premier League champions, will look to improve on last season’s campaign, which ended in the round of 16.
Arne Slot’s side open the new-look league stage – in which 36 clubs face eight different opponents – at Anfield against Atletico Madrid on Wednesday, September 17.
The Reds will also host Real Madrid, PSV Eindhoven, and Qarabag, while travelling to face Galatasaray, Eintracht Frankfurt, Inter Milan, and Marseille. The first stage runs until late January.
UEFA rules allow each club to name up to 25 players on their main “List A,” which must include at least eight locally-trained or homegrown players – those developed either by their club or another club in the same national association for a minimum of three years between the ages of 15 and 21.
Liverpool have opted to submit a squad of 22, featuring summer signings Florian Wirtz, Alexander Isak, Hugo Ekitike, Jeremie Frimpong, Milos Kerkez, Giovanni Leoni, Giorgi Mamardashvili, and Freddie Woodman.
However, with only 17 non-homegrown players permitted, Chiesa has missed out on selection for the opening stage.
Rio Ngumoha, who joined Liverpool last year, is also classed as non-homegrown.
Meanwhile, youngsters Trey Nyoni and Jayden Danns – both of whom featured in Europe last season – are omitted from List A but remain eligible via “List B,” which is open to players born on or after January 1, 2003, provided they have been with the club for at least two years.
Clubs can register an unlimited number of List B players and update that list before each match.
If Liverpool advance to the knockout rounds – with the top eight progressing directly to the last 16 and those placed ninth to 24th entering a play-off – they will be permitted to make up to three changes to their List A squad while staying within the 25-man limit.
Liverpool Champions League squad List A: Alisson, Mamardashvili, Woodman, Gomez, Endo, Van Dijk, Konate, Kerkez, Bradley, Leoni, Robertson, Frimpong, Wirtz, Szoboszlai, Mac Allister, Jones, Gravenberch, Isak, Salah, Gakpo, Ekitike, Ngumoha.
List B (includes): Nyoni, Danns.
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