Liverpool Omit Federico Chiesa From 20-Man Opener at Newcastle
Liverpool head coach Andoni Iraola omitted Federico Chiesa from his 20-man matchday squad for Sunday’s Premier League opener against Newcastle United at St. James’ Park. The 28-year-old winger was left out entirely on tactical grounds, with the new manager selecting multiple youth options and summer signings ahead of the Italian international.
Iraola Prioritizes Youth Options for St James’ Park Trip
The selection decision follows Chiesa starting in Liverpool’s final pre-season fixture against Como, yet Iraola opted to field 17-year-old Rio Ngumoha on the right wing alongside Cody Gakpo. The substitutes bench featured summer signing Victor Munoz and 20-year-old Lewis Koumas, leaving Chiesa completely outside the matchday group despite being fully fit.
Andoni Iraola
coachThe exclusion marks another structural shift in the forward’s standing on Merseyside after he recorded 104 Premier League minutes across six substitute appearances in his debut 2024-25 season. Although Chiesa featured in 26 league fixtures during the 2025-26 campaign, 25 of those outings came as a second-half substitute.
