Carragher: Chiesa 'never going to kick a ball' at Liverpool after Champions League omission
Quick summary
Jamie Carragher claims Federico Chiesa will never play for Liverpool after the Italian forward was left out of the club's Champions League squad registration.
Full article
Attributed to original sourceLiverpool legend Jamie Carragher says Federico Chiesa is ‘never going to kick a ball’ with the Reds this season after the Italian winger was omitted from their Champions League squad list.
Liverpool have left Chiesa out of their Champions League squad list for the first part of the 2026-27 season.
‘Chiesa is never going to play at Liverpool’ NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, ENGLAND – AUGUST 25: Federico Chiesa of Liverpool during the Premier League match between Newcastle United and Liverpool at St James’ Park on August 25, 2025 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. (Photo by George Wood/Getty Images) Chiesa has scored five goals in 50 appearances across all competitions with Liverpool since 2024 and is currently out of action due to a muscle problem.
“Liverpool have got two players in the squad who are never going to play,” Carragher said, speaking on the Overlap, via Goal.com.
“And there are all these quotas; you can only have 17 players and all that. They have got Chiesa and Endo. It’s like they are never going to kick a ball.”
Liverpool’s Federico Chiesa reacts during the UEFA Champions League soccer match between AC Milan and Liverpool FC at Giuseppe Meazza stadium in Milan, 17 September 2024. EPA-EFE/MATTEO BAZZI While Chiesa has been left out of Liverpool’s Champions League squad, another Italy international, Giovanni Leoni, features in the list. The promising centre-back is recovering from a cruciate ligament injury, and Andoni Iraola has said that he’s expected to return to team training during the international break between the end of September and the start of October.
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 23: Giovanni Leoni of Liverpool receives medical treatment to an injury before being substituted off during the Carabao Cup Third Round match between Liverpool and Southampton at Anfield on September 23, 2025 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images) Leoni suffered his knee injury during his debut with Liverpool last season. He has yet to make his senior Italy debut, while Chiesa has scored seven goals in 51 international matches and won the Euros in 2021, but hasn’t played for the Azzurri since Euro 2024.
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What happened
Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has publicly stated that Federico Chiesa is unlikely to ever feature for Liverpool again after the Italian forward was omitted from the club's Champions League squad. The decision effectively sidelines Chiesa, who joined Liverpool in the summer, and signals that manager Arne Slot does not see him as part of his plans this season. The omission comes amid speculation about Chiesa's future at Anfield, with January exit rumors already circulating. Carragher's comments add to the growing narrative that the high-profile move has not worked out as hoped.
Chance analysis
Federico Chiesa's Liverpool spell appears to be heading toward a premature dead end barely months into his Premier League adventure. Being left out of the Champions League squad is a significant signal from Arne Slot that the Italian winger is not in his core plans, and Carragher's blunt assessment — that Chiesa will 'never kick a ball' for the club — captures the mood among observers. With a January exit looking increasingly likely, Liverpool's summer gamble on the Italian international looks set to be written off as a failed experiment.
Chiesa's omission from Liverpool's Champions League squad strongly suggests he is out of Arne Slot's plans and likely to leave in January, ending his Liverpool career before it began.