Adrian has officially been dropped from Liverpool’s UEFA Europa League squad for the upcoming group stages.
UEFA today announced on their official website the Reds’ 23-man registered squad for the competition, with Adrian the big absentee from Jurgen Klopp’s team.
The veteran third-choice goalkeeper was a player who was always likely to be axed from Liverpool’s Europa League squad due to the strict criteria UEFA place on clubs for their competitions.
Hailed by Klopp himself as an ‘incredible’ player, Adrian might have fancied himself to earn a place in Liverpool’s squad given how unlikely it is that Alisson Becker will play in the Europa League.
However, with Caoimhin Kelleher still at Liverpool, dropping Adrian to free up space in the squad makes a lot of sense for the Reds heading into the competition.
Indeed, Vitezslav Jaros being named as the third-choice keeper could also hint that the 22-year-old might be handed a chance by Klopp, with an eye on the future potentially on the Liverpool boss’ mind.
Adrian shouldn’t feel bad about being dropped from Liverpool’s Europa League squad
With only 17 first-team spots available for Liverpool, dropping Adrian makes quite a lot of sense for Klopp given how good both Alisson and Kelleher are on their own.
Moreover, with Jaros qualifying as a B-list player for UEFA, it makes sense why Liverpool would turn to a youngster rather than wasting an A-list spot on someone like Adrian, who at most would play just once or twice in the competition.
The veteran shot-stopper could have relished in the chance to play in Europe, though Adrian’s playing time will now most likely come from the League Cup and potentially FA Cup in the new year.
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