Liverpool have released their 21-man squad for Tuesday’s Champions League meeting with Galatasaray and it comes with a surprise exclusion.
The Reds began their group-stage campaign with a dramatic 3-2 win over Atletico Madrid and now head to Istanbul aiming to make it back-to-back victories. The fixture also takes them back to the city where they lifted the trophy in 2005 under Rafael Benitez.
Manager Arne Slot named his squad on Monday, but Federico Chiesa was absent despite expectations he would step in for Giovanni Leoni, who faces up to 12 months out after suffering an ACL injury in the Carabao Cup win against Southampton. UEFA’s revised rules permit replacements for long-term absentees, and Liverpool had already applied to register Chiesa following his initial omission due to foreign player limits.
Even so, he was left out once again. Journalist James Pearce reported that the decision was purely tactical, with no fitness concerns and Chiesa already registered to play.
The 27-year-old forward has been showing good form of late, scoring from the bench in the 2-1 defeat at Crystal Palace and registering two assists against Southampton, where he earned player-of-the-match honours. Speaking afterwards, Chiesa admitted last season’s struggles but stressed that this campaign feels “different” thanks to improved confidence, fitness, and trust from Slot.
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