Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has sprung a major surprise with his Champions League squad for the league phase, leaving out two big names, Raheem Sterling and new signing Facundo Buonanotte.
Sterling, Chelsea’s highest earner, has not made the cut, while Buonanotte, who only arrived on deadline day, is also excluded. Instead, Maresca has opted to integrate summer arrivals Willian Estevão and Alejandro Garnacho, following a transfer window in which the Blues spent close to £300 million.
UEFA rules stipulate that each team can register up to 25 players in their ‘List A’, provided at least four are club-trained. Chelsea have included Reece James, Trevoh Chalobah and Levi Colwill, but fall short of the full quota.
The Blues face a daunting start to their campaign, opening away against Bayern Munich, with Barcelona and Napoli also awaiting them in the new league phase format. Teams will have the opportunity to adjust their squads in January, allowing for the inclusion of winter signings.
Player List A
Goalkeepers
Robert Sanchez
Filip Jorgensen
Defenders
Tosin Adarabioyo
Benoit Badiashile
Trevoh Chalobah
Levi Colwill
Marc Cucurella
Wesley Fofana
Malo Gusto
Jorell Hato
Reece James
Midfielders
Moises Caicedo
Dario Essugo
Enzo Fernandez
Andrey Santos
Forwards
Liam Delap
Alejandro Garnacho
Jamie Gittens
Marc Guiu
Pedro Neto
Cole Palmer
Joao Pedro
Estevao Willian
Player list B
Josh Acheampong
Tyrique George
Romeo Lavia
Meanwhile, Premier League champions Liverpool have also confirmed their squad, a 22-man list missing Federico Chiesa. Despite joining amid much fanfare, the Italian winger has been left out due to UEFA’s restrictions on non-homegrown players.
The Reds’ squad, however, boasts several new signings, including Florian Wirtz, Alexander Isak, Hugo Ekitike, Jeremie Frimpong, Milos Kerkez, Giovanni Leoni, Giorgi Mamardashvili and Freddie Woodman.
Liverpool begin their Champions League journey at Anfield on Wednesday, September 17, against Atletico Madrid. Arne Slot’s men will also host Real Madrid, PSV Eindhoven and Qarabag, while away fixtures include tough trips to Galatasaray, Eintracht Frankfurt, Inter Milan and Marseille.
UEFA regulations mean that younger talents such as Trey Nyoni and Jayden Danns can instead be registered on ‘List B’.
The governing body said, “A player may be registered on List B if he is born on or after 1 January 2004 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.”
Should Liverpool progress to the knockout rounds, they will be permitted to amend their squad by registering three fresh names while keeping within the 25-man cap.
List A: Alisson, Mamardashvili, Woodman, Gomez, Endo, Van Dijk, Konate, Kerkez, Bradley, Leoni, Robertson, Frimpong, Wirtz, Szoboszlai, Mac Allister, Jones, Gravenberch, Isak, Salah, Gakpo, Ekitike, Ngumoha.
List B: Nyoni, Danns, Bajcetic.
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