Federico Chiesa snubbed! Arne Slot drops in-form winger for Liverpool's Champions League trip to Galatasaray despite being added to European squad

Liverpool announced earlier on Monday that a 21-man travelling squad will make the trip to Super Lig side Galatasaray ahead of Tuesday’s game, with Chiesa being a notable absentee among the list of members.

Liverpool’s travelling squad in full: Alisson, Gomez, Endo, Van Dijk, Konate, Kerkez, Wirtz, Szoboszlai, Isak, Mac Allister, Salah, Bradley, Jones, Gakpo, Ekitike, Mamardashvili, Robertson, Woodman, Frimpong, Gravenberch, Ngumoha.

And in a new report from The Athletic’s James Pearce, Liverpool manager Arne Slot has taken the decision to leave Chiesa at home for the Galatasaray match, despite the 27-year-old being fit and ready to play.

The surprise move comes amid a purple patch of form for Chiesa. The former Juventus forward was handed a rare start in Liverpool’s third-round Carabao Cup clash against Southampton last Tuesday, registering the assists for Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike's goals as Slot’s men ran out 2-1 winners on the night. Chiesa has also made a strong impact as a substitute this season, scoring against Bournemouth on the opening night of the 2025-26 Premier League season and then against Crystal Palace on Saturday.

Chiesa was initially left out of Liverpool’s 22-man squad for the league phase of the Champions League earlier this month. However, he was later brought in to replace Leoni after the defender teared an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in the victory over Southampton. The 18-year-old sustained the injury towards the end of what was an impressive debut for Liverpool following his summer move from Serie A side Parma.

Liverpool are looking to bounce back from suffering their first defeat of the season when they lock horns with Galatasaray. The Merseysiders were beaten 2-1 by high-flying Palace on Saturday, having previously won their opening seven fixtures in all competitions in 2025-26. One of those victories was against Atletico Madrid in their Champions League opener on September 17, with goals from Andy Robertson, Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk ensuring Slot’s side made the perfect start in Europe’s premier club competition.

Galatasaray, meanwhile, have also made a superb start to the 2025-26 campaign. The Turkish giants currently sit top of the Super Lig on 21 points having won all seven of their league fixtures, with striker Mauro Icardi netting five times. However Okan Buruk’s side were heavily beaten by Eintracht Frankfurt in their Champions League opener, falling to a 5-1 defeat at Deutsche Bank Park.