Liverpool reveal why three first-team stars have been left out of their Champions League squad – as Anfield side get ready for new 36-team league format

Liverpool have revealed why three of their first-team stars were omitted from their Champions League squad.

The Anfield outfit are finalising preparations for this season’s new 36-team league format and new manager Arne Slot has named 25 players in his side.

Eight of the squad members must be ‘locally trained players’ while four of these must be ‘club trained’ adding further restrictions to the footballers the boss can choose.

The Reds are set to come up against AC Milan, Bologna, RB Leipzig, Bayer Leverkusen, Real Madrid, Girona, Lille and PSV, in the league stage of the competition but some supporters were concerned that a number of snubbed names would not feature in these matches.

In particular, many were shocked to see Harvey Elliott, Conor Bradley and Jarell Quansah left off the list, The Mirror reports.

Many were shocked to see Harvey Elliott left off the list for the opening matches

As the trio, including Conor Bradley, fit certain criteria they have been placed on List B instead

But they need not worry as they have only been left off the A-list, appearing instead on the B-list which is unlimited in size and reserved for younger players who have been at the club for a while.

UEFA’s regulations state: ‘A player may be registered on List B if he is born on or after 1 January 2003 and has, since his 15th birthday, been eligible to play for the club concerned for any uninterrupted period of two years, or a total of three consecutive years with a maximum of one loan period to a club from the same association for a period not longer than one year. 

‘Players aged 16 may be registered on List B if they have been registered with the participating club for the previous two years without interruption.’ 

As the trio fit these criteria, they have been placed on the List B and can feature in the all-important European ties to come.