“Rio Ngumoha makes the cut, but a notable star is missing from Liverpool’s confirmed Champions League squad.”

Liverpool have confirmed their Champions League squad for the group stage, with one high-profile player notably missing.

Manager Arne Slot has selected 22 players eligible to represent the Reds in Europe up until January. This number excludes those who don’t need to be registered on UEFA’s ‘List A’ due to specific criteria.

Under UEFA rules, clubs may name up to 25 players in ‘List A’, but at least eight must be ‘locally trained’ — meaning they spent at least three years with an English club between the ages of 15 and 21.

Who made the squad?
The full list submitted before the UEFA deadline includes Alisson, Mamardashvili, Woodman, Gomez, Endo, Van Dijk, Konate, Kerkez, Bradley, Leoni, Robertson, Frimpong, Wirtz, Szoboszlai, Mac Allister, Curtis Jones, Gravenberch, Isak, Salah, Gakpo, Ekitike, and Rio Ngumoha.

Among them are eight of Liverpool’s new summer signings, all of whom have been registered. Rio Ngumoha, despite being only 17, also features on the list, as he doesn’t meet UEFA’s homegrown criteria yet, having only joined Liverpool last year.

Who’s missing?
The most surprising exclusion is Federico Chiesa. Due to UEFA’s limit of 17 non-homegrown players, the Italian international has been left out of the squad for now.

Slot likely faced a tough decision in trimming the squad, but Chiesa is the unfortunate casualty. Though he saw limited action in his first season at Anfield, he’s featured in all three Premier League games so far this term and scored in the opening win against Bournemouth.

With his Champions League appearances on hold until at least February, Chiesa will now have to focus on domestic competitions to prove his value. If Liverpool progress to the knockout stages — which is expected — he’ll be aiming to earn a spot in the revised squad list.