The Liverpool manager faces a tough decision in naming his Europa League squad as he has to omit either Ryan Gravenberch or Ben Doak.
All clubs are required to submit their final squads for the group stage of this season’s Europa League by 11:00 PM BST on Monday. Furthermore, fixtures for the group stage games will begin on September 21.
Liverpool have been drawn against LASK, Union SG, and Toulouse in Group E. Ahead of their opening game away to Austrian side, LASK, Liverpool’s senior squad will be confirmed by club officials to UEFA.
However, unlike the Premier League, whose parameters mean every player currently available to the German can be included, they could be included as over-age or under-21 players, but UEFA rules make it more difficult.
This means that ahead of the announcement of Liverpool’s squad, the manager needs to cut one player from his European selection.
This is due to both Ryan Gravenberch and Ben Doak, who are eligible as under-21 players in the Premier League, need to be registered on List A.
Liverpool players Gravenberch and Doak do not qualify for the Europa League squad
Europa League squads are divided into two lists- with List A including all players who would not qualify for List B. In short, the selection is based on the age of the player or the length of time they have been at the club.
Meanwhile, Gravenberch and Doak meet the age limit for List B. But neither player have been on the books at Liverpool for an uninterrupted period of two years.
“A player may be registered on List B if he is born on or after 1 January 2002 and since his 15th birthday has 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.”
This is what UEFA rules state
Hence, as per this rule, both the players need to be named on list A in order to feature in the UEL group stage. The Reds have 17 foreign and 8 locally trained slots available.
But Doak doesn’t qualify as locally trained. This is because he was transferred from the Scottish FA system before his move to Anfield in 2022. Liverpool’s locally trained players who are not eligible for List B are Gomez, Trent, Curtis, and Kelleher.
Unfortunately, there are 18 players within Klopp’s squad this season, who are classed as ‘foreign’. But again there are only 17 slots available in the foreign section.
It remains to be seen who will be cut, though many would argue the case to omit third-choice goalkeeper Adrian.
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