Champions League Squads Announced, Several Real Madrid and Liverpool Stars Miss Out and Spark Debate

The new Champions League season is about to begin, and all 36 teams have submitted their 25-man squads to UEFA. Several unexpected absences appeared in the Real Madrid and Liverpool squads, sparking heated discussion among fans.

Real Madrid: Mendy left out, with injury not the only reason

Real Madrid signed Cucurella for £51.8 million this summer, which had already left former first-choice left-back Ferland Mendy's position under pressure. Now, in Mourinho's first Champions League squad list since returning to Real Madrid, Mendy's name does not appear.

Mendy is currently injured and is expected to return later this month. However, it is worth noting that Militao and Rodrygo, who are also injured, were both included in the squad, which seems to suggest that Mourinho's decision was not based solely on injuries.

Liverpool: Chiesa and Wataru Endo both left out

For Liverpool, the summer managerial change from Arne Slot to Andoni Iraola was once seen as Chiesa's final opportunity in his Reds career. However, the 28-year-old Italian winger is still recovering from a muscle injury suffered in August and is expected to resume training during this month's international break. Injury concerns, combined with his peripheral role in the squad, led Iraola to ultimately leave him out of the 25-man list.

Chiesa was not the only notable Liverpool player left out, as 33-year-old Japanese midfielder Wataru Endo also missed the squad. The midfielder made only eight appearances last year and has played 87 matches for Liverpool in total since joining in 2023. Despite his limited playing time, there were no reports this summer of interest from other clubs, and he is likely to see out his contract, which expires next summer.