Federico Chiesa has not even been included in the matchday squad for Liverpool’s Premier League season opener against Newcastle United on Sunday afternoon.
Chiesa not even in Liverpool’s matchday squad for Premier League opener
The former Juventus forward, 28, has not been included in Liverpool’s official 20-man squad list for their first Premier League game of the season away against Newcastle at St. James’s Park on Sunday afternoon in what is new head coach Andoni Iraola’s first competitive game in charge.
The Italy international, who has not played for the Azzurri since EURO 2024, has struggled to nail down a spot in the Liverpool side ever since his arrival from Juventus in the summer of 2024.
He was only called upon for 104 minutes of Premier League action spread across six substitute appearances during his first season at Anfield after a difficult pre-season that saw him frozen out of the Juventus squad before completing his move to Merseyside.
The 2025-26 season was more encouraging, Chiesa making 26 appearances in the English top flight, albeit 25 of those were off the bench in the second half.
Chiesa has often had plenty of competition in front of him in the Liverpool squad, but he might’ve hoped that he would be given a larger role following the departure of the club’s legendary winger Mohamed Salah over the summer and the long-term injury to Hugo Ekitike.
Arne Slot, who seemed reluctant to field Chiesa in the Premier League over the last two seasons, has also left and been replaced by Iraola, but the Italian has still not done enough to earn a spot in the Liverpool squad for their first league match of the season.
Curiously, Iraola had started Chiesa in Liverpool’s final pre-season friendly of the summer against Como last weekend.
Instead, Liverpool line up with Cody Gakpo on the left wing, 17-year-old Rio Ngumoha on the right with Florian Wirtz playing behind centre-forward Alexander Isak.
The attacking options on the bench include summer signing Victor Munoz and 20-year-old Lewis Koumas, who spent last season on loan in the Championship with Hull City.
The Reds to take on Newcastle in our season opener
#NEWLIV
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) August 23, 2026
