Iraola's Champions League Decisions: Ekitike's Trust and Chiesa, Endo's Exclusion

Andoni Iraola has made his first major Champions League statement as Liverpool manager – and it cuts both ways.

On one side, faith. On the other, a cold, hard reality.

Ekitike Gets a Champions League Lifeline

Hugo Ekitike, out since rupturing his Achilles in April, has been named in Liverpool’s 25-man squad for the Champions League League Phase. For a player who has not kicked a competitive ball in months and still has no official return date, it is a bold show of trust.

Liverpool confirmed on September 3 that there is no set timeframe for the French striker’s comeback after surgery. The club have been cautious, the updates deliberately vague. Iraola has not.

By registering Ekitike, the Spaniard has nailed his colours to the mast. Liverpool’s final League Phase game comes against RC Lens at Anfield on January 27, and his inclusion strongly hints at one thing: Iraola expects him to be ready to contribute by then.

A long road back, but a clear target in sight.

Chiesa and Endo Frozen Out

The optimism around Ekitike is matched by a far harsher verdict on two senior players.

Federico Chiesa and Wataru Endo have both been left out of the Champions League squad. Two established internationals. Neither deemed essential.

Chiesa is currently sidelined, but not long term. The Italian winger is expected to return to training after the September international break. Even that, though, has not been enough to secure him a place in Europe.

Endo’s situation is even more stark. He is fully fit, available, and overlooked. Iraola’s decision underlines what many around the club have suspected: the manager does not see the Japan international as part of his core plans.

With no Champions League football and limited prospects in domestic competitions, both players face an uncertain future at Anfield. Their path to meaningful minutes is narrowing fast.

Carragher’s Warning Echoes

The calls on Chiesa and Endo arrive in the shadow of some pointed criticism from a Liverpool great.

Speaking on The Overlap, Jamie Carragher did not mince his words about the pair’s prospects this season.

“Liverpool have got two players in the squad who are never going to play,” he said. “They have got Chiesa and Endo. 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, it sounded brutal. Now it sounds eerily prescient.

Iraola’s Champions League list has turned a pundit’s warning into a selection reality. Ekitike, still in rehab, gets the nod. Chiesa and Endo, fit or close to it, are left watching from the outside.

One player is being backed to shape Liverpool’s European campaign before the end of January.

Two others are left to wonder how many more chances they will get to shape anything at Anfield at all.