Why Liverpool have only named a 22-man Champions League squad

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Liverpool surprised many by submitting just 22 names for their UEFA Champions League List A, leaving three slots vacant rather than filling them to the 25-player maximum.

UEFA regulations stipulate that each List A may include up to 25 players, but clubs can name only 17 non-homegrown players; the remaining eight must have been trained at the club or within the same national association.

The Reds have omitted three players from their List A squad because they have reached the maximum allowance of 17 non-homegrown players.

Rio Ngumoha, despite being under 21, did not qualify for List B – the supplementary list for young talents – because he has not completed three uninterrupted years at the club.

List B entrants must be born after 1 January 2004 and have spent at least three years at the same club since their 15th birthday, criteria Ngumoha cannot yet meet.

Consequently, he occupies one of the 17 non-homegrown slots on List A.

Federico Chiesa, despite his moments of promise off the bench – including a winning goal against Bournemouth on the opening weekend—missed out because Liverpool had already reached their 17 non-homegrown quota.

Had Ngumoha been eligible for List B, both he and Chiesa could have featured without restricting the main squad.

In addition to this, Liverpool can register an unlimited number of players on their List B roster, which is submitted the day before each match.

The Reds will begin their European campaign at Anfield, welcoming Atlético Madrid on Wednesday, 17 September.

Below is the full Liverpool Champions League squad:

Goalkeepers: Alisson, Mamardashvilli, Woodman

Defenders: Van Dijk, Konate, Gomez, Leoni, Bradley, Kerkez, Robertson, Frimpong

Midfielders: Mac Allister, Szoboszlai, Gravenberch, Jones, Endo, Wirtz

Forwards: Isak, Salah, Gakpo, Ekitike, Ngumoha

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