Iraola's Bold Champions League Decision: Ekitike Over Chiesa and Endo
Andoni Iraola has made his first big European call as Liverpool manager. It is a bold one.
Hugo Ekitike, out since rupturing his Achilles in April, has been named in Liverpool’s 25-man Champions League squad. Two senior internationals, Federico Chiesa and Wataru Endo, have not.
It is a decision that says plenty about where Liverpool are heading this season – and who Iraola believes will be on the journey with him.
A Long Road Back for Ekitike
Ekitike has not kicked a competitive ball for Liverpool since that serious Achilles injury in the spring. The French striker underwent surgery and has been working his way back, step by step, away from the spotlight.
Liverpool’s official line, as of September 3, is clear: there is no set timeframe for his return. No guarantees, no promises.
Iraola has effectively given one.
By registering Ekitike for the League Phase of the Champions League, the Basque coach has signalled that he expects – or at least strongly hopes – to have the forward available before the group-style stage ends. Liverpool’s final League Phase fixture comes against RC Lens at Anfield on January 27. Ekitike’s inclusion points straight at that date.
It is a calculated gamble. A Champions League squad is not a place for sentiment. Every slot matters, especially with the registration limits and homegrown quotas that shape the modern European roster. To hand one of those slots to a player still in rehab is a statement of faith.
Faith in his recovery. Faith in his importance.
Chiesa Left on the Outside
The flip side of that faith lands on Federico Chiesa.
The Italian winger is currently injured, but his situation is not remotely as severe as Ekitike’s. Chiesa is expected to return to training after the September international break, which should put him in contention for the autumn schedule.
Yet Iraola has still left him out of the Champions League squad.
That omission cuts deep. It tells Chiesa exactly where he stands in the pecking order. Even with a likely return in the near term, he has not been given a ticket for Europe.
For a player of his pedigree, that is a brutal reality. It also feeds into a growing sense that his Liverpool career may never truly take off under this manager. If he cannot make the 25 now, with months of European football ahead, when will he?
Endo the Odd Man Out
If Chiesa’s exclusion can be partially explained by injury, Wataru Endo’s cannot.
Endo is fit. He is available. Iraola has simply decided he does not need him for the Champions League.
The Japan international arrived at Liverpool as a hard-working, unfussy defensive midfielder, and he carved out a reputation as a cult figure – appreciated by supporters for his commitment and reliability. That has not been enough to secure a place on the European list.
The decision backs up the blunt assessment made by former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher on The Overlap. Carragher claimed Liverpool had “two players in the squad who are never going to play” and named them: Chiesa and Endo. He went as far as to say Endo “should have been moved on,” even while acknowledging the midfielder’s popularity and effort.
Iraola’s call on the Champions League squad now gives those words a sharper edge. It looks less like pundit hyperbole and more like a cold reading of the situation.
Futures in the Balance
For Chiesa and Endo, the outlook is suddenly stark.
Both are expected to be on the fringes in domestic competitions, with limited minutes and little rhythm. Without European football to offer a platform, they face a season of watching others define Liverpool’s campaign.
Their exclusion also hints at what may come next. Players of their age and stature do not sit quietly on the margins forever. If they cannot break into Iraola’s plans between now and January, questions over their long-term futures at Anfield will only grow louder.
Ekitike, by contrast, has been handed a lifeline before he has even laced his boots again. Liverpool have refused to set a public deadline on his comeback, but his name on that Champions League list is as clear a target as any.
The message from Iraola is unmistakable: when Liverpool chase European nights under the Anfield lights this season, he expects Hugo Ekitike to be part of it – and he is prepared to leave big names behind to make room.
