Liverpool: Rio Ngumhoa preferred to Federico Chiesa as Arne Slot names Champions League squad

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·3 septembre 2025

Liverpool: Rio Ngumhoa preferred to Federico Chiesa as Arne Slot names Champions League squad

Italian has struggled for first-team minutes since his arrival from Juventus

Federico Chiesa has been left out of Liverpool’s Champions League squad.

Vidéos OneFootball

The Italian forward has been pipped to the post by young winger Rio Ngumhoa, who was included ahead of the 27-year-old in the Reds’ roster.

There are strict rules set by UEFA meaning that eight players within the 25-man maximum must be ‘locally trained’, where players have spent two consecutive years with the club between the ages of 15 and 21.

Usually, Ngumhoa, who has recently turned 17, would be able to play Champions League football as part of the ‘B’ squad list, but because he only joined the club from Chelsea last year, he has to be part of the ‘A’ list.

As such, he ekes out Chiesa in the Arne Slot’s 22-man squad.

New signings Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike, Jeremie Frimpong, Milos Kerkez, Giovanni Leoni, Giorgi Mamardashvili, and Alexander Isak are all involved.

Chiesa has played just 29 minutes of football this season, although he has got off the mark with the Reds’ third goal in the 4-2 win over Bournemouth on the opening day of the campaign.

Ngumhoa, meanwhile, stepped off the bench to score a dramatic late winner at St James’ Park, where Liverpool beat Newcastle 3-2.