Liverpool's Bold Gamble on Ekitike Amid Chiesa and Endo Exclusions
Liverpool have taken a bold gamble in Europe, backing long‑term injury absentee Hugo Ekitike while casting aside two established internationals from their Champions League plans.
Andoni Iraola has named the French striker in his 25-man squad for the League Phase, despite Ekitike not kicking a ball since rupturing his Achilles tendon in April. The decision underlines the manager’s belief that the 22-year-old can still shape Liverpool’s European campaign once he completes his recovery.
Ekitike underwent surgery earlier this year and has been working his way back towards full fitness. Liverpool’s official update on September 3 made it clear the club would not put a public timeframe on his return. Even so, his registration for the Champions League sends a clear message: Iraola expects him to be available before the League Phase is done.
Liverpool’s final game in that stage comes against RC Lens at Anfield on January 27. Naming Ekitike now suggests the club believe he could be ready to feature by then, or at least offer a late‑phase option up front if his rehabilitation continues to progress smoothly.
Chiesa and Endo left out in the cold
The show of faith in Ekitike has come at a cost. Federico Chiesa and Wataru Endo have both been omitted from the European squad, a ruthless call that throws their Liverpool futures into sharp focus.
Chiesa is currently sidelined, though the Italian winger is expected to return to training after the September international break. Under different circumstances, that timeline might have made him an obvious inclusion. Iraola has gone the other way, choosing not to use a valuable squad slot on a player he clearly does not see as central to his Champions League plans.
Endo’s case is even starker. The Japan international is fit, training, and available, yet still finds himself on the outside. His exclusion lays bare Iraola’s pecking order in midfield and underlines how far Endo has slipped from contention at the highest level of the club’s season.
With neither Chiesa nor Endo in the European squad and both already struggling for minutes, their prospects in domestic competitions look equally bleak. The message is blunt: they are on the fringes, and staying there.
Carragher’s warning rings true
The manager’s call echoes the blunt assessment delivered recently by former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher. Speaking on The Overlap, Carragher argued that two players in the Liverpool squad were “never going to play” this season, naming Chiesa and Endo as the likely passengers.
“They have got Chiesa and Endo,” he said. “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. Iraola’s Champions League list has now given them weight. With quotas limiting non-homegrown spots to 17, every selection carries consequences. Ekitike’s inclusion, even while injured, has effectively pushed Chiesa and Endo further towards the exit door.
For Liverpool, the European squad is more than a formality. It is a snapshot of the manager’s trust. Ekitike, still in rehab and yet backed for the biggest stage, has it. Chiesa and Endo, for now, do not.
The question now is simple: does this mark the start of Ekitike’s resurgence at Anfield, or the beginning of the end for two high-profile teammates who suddenly find themselves surplus to requirements?
