Liverpool Add Amara Nallo to Champions League Squad Following Defensive Injury Crisis

Liverpool have added teenager Amara Nallo to their Champions League squad ahead of their final league-phase fixture against Qarabag at Anfield, as Arne Slot continues to grapple with mounting injury problems.

The Reds go into the clash against the Azerbaijani champions knowing that victory will secure a top-eight finish and automatic qualification for the last 16 of the competition. With a congested fixture schedule already looming, Slot will be keen to avoid the additional demands of the knockout phase play-offs.

Liverpool’s defensive options have been severely depleted, with up to six defenders unavailable for the match. Ibrahima Konaté remains on compassionate leave following the death of his father, while Joe Gomez picked up a hip injury during last weekend’s 3-2 defeat at Bournemouth. Conor Bradley and Giovanni Leoni have both been ruled out for the remainder of the season due to knee injuries.

Calvin Ramsay is also unavailable as he has not been registered in Liverpool’s Champions League List A squad.

Last month, prior to Liverpool’s 1-0 victory over Inter Milan at the San Siro, the club added centre-back Wellity Lucky to their List B squad. UEFA regulations allow clubs to register players born on or after 1 January 2004 who have been eligible to represent the club for a continuous two-year period since turning 15.

However, Lucky will not be available for the Qarabag fixture after sustaining a hamstring injury that is expected to sideline him for several months.

As a result, Liverpool have now added 19-year-old Amara Nallo to their List B squad, a move permitted under UEFA rules up until midnight CET on the day before each match.

Although Nallo did not feature in Liverpool’s open training session on Tuesday, he is expected to be named among the substitutes for Wednesday’s encounter. The defender has made two senior appearances for the club, though both outings ended in red cards. He was sent off during a 3-2 Champions League defeat to PSV Eindhoven last season and again in a 3-0 Carabao Cup loss to Crystal Palace earlier this campaign.

Reflecting on Nallo’s dismissal against Palace, Slot praised the support shown by his senior players.

“I didn’t need to say much,” Slot said. “What I really liked was that Ibou [Konaté] and Virgil [van Dijk] immediately went inside to speak with him.

“That tells me a lot about them as people. When a young player experiences something like that for the second time, it’s a very difficult moment. Their support meant I didn’t need to step in — they had already taken care of him.”