Champions League squad: updates at Chelsea, BVB and FC Bayern

Also updates at BVB, Bayern & Co.

The 16 remaining participants in the Champions League have reported their squads to European football’s governing body UEFA. For example, Chelsea FC confirmed their team for the round of 16 in the “premier class” before their Premier League game against Fulham FC (0-0). Winter newcomers Mykhaylo Mudryk (22), Enzo Fernández (22) and João Félix (23) were announced for the duel against Borussia Dortmund on February 15 and March 7, while ex-BVB striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (33 ) was dropped from the 25-player squad.

On the UEFA website
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“I don’t think it will be difficult because Pierre is a professional,” said Chelsea manager Graham Potter (quoted via The Guardian). He continued: “He has done absolutely nothing wrong. Whatever decision is made, there will always be a debate. It was my decision, a difficult decision. I have nothing against him. I understand his disappointment but I have a responsibility to make such decisions and communicate them to the player. He coped well and trained well today.” Aubameyang (three goals this season in all competitions) still has a contract in London until 2024, but given his manageable chances of playing, he should be considered a candidate for cancellation next summer.

Potter also chose not to include €38m Monaco-signed centre-back Benoît Badiashile (21), as did newcomers Andrey Santos (18; €12.5m from Vasco da Gama), Noni Madueke (20 ; for €35m from Eindhoven) and David Datro Fofana (20; for €12m from Molde). But Hakim Ziyech (29) is part of the squad after his transfer to Paris Saint-Germain burst on the home stretch. Overall, the CL squad is missing players for whom 97.5 million euros had recently been put on the table by the deadline day.

Chelsea opponents Dortmund have registered three professionals for the knockout phase with Mahmoud Dahoud (27), who is fit again, newcomer Julian Ryerson (25) from Union Berlin and returnee Sébastien Haller (28). Thorgan Hazard (29), who switched to PSV, defensive midfielder Abdoulaye Kamara (18), keeper Marcel Lotka (21), Nico Schulz (29), Mateu Morey Bauzà (22) and the only 16-year-old are not (anymore) there old purchase Julien Duranville (from RSC Anderlecht). Winger Jamie Bynoe-Gittens (18) is on the B list.

FC Bayern relies on Cancelo & Co. – Haller with BVB in the Champions League

FC Bayern unsurprisingly nominated their three winter signings for the clash with Paris Saint-Germain ( February 14 and March 8). There are no significant prank candidates. Even Manuel Neuer (36), who was absent until the end of the season, remained in the squad because not all places had been filled and Marcel Sabitzer (29) was also given to Manchester United. Eintracht Frankfurt meanwhile goes into the round of 16 against SSC Napoli (February 21 and March 15) with the professionals Aurélio Buta (25) and Almamy Touré (26) as well as new signing Philipp Max (29; loan from PSV). Keeper Jens Grahl (34) and of course the departures Luca Pellegrini (23) and Jérôme Onguéné (25) are no longer listed in the squad.

Little has changed at RB Leipzig before the duel against Man City (February 22 and March 14): Goalkeeper Örjan Nyland (32) took the place of Péter Gulácsi (32), who had a cruciate ligament injury. Liverpool, who once again face Real Madrid in the round of 16 (February 21 and March 15), will be without midfielder Arthur Melo (26), who signed for €4.5m last summer. Euro loan fee from Juventus Turin and under coach Jürgen Klopp hardly plays a role, not only due to injury. This includes winter signing Cody Gakpo (23; for 42 million euros from Eindhoven) as well as the recovered ex-Leipzig players Naby Keita (27) and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (29). Scottish right-back Calvin Ramsay (19), who signed from Aberdeen for €4.9m in 2022, has to watch like Arthur Melo.

Champions League squad: How’s the ‘A list’ and ‘B list’ going?

As in the Champions League group stage, there is a division into “A list” and “B list”. The ‘A List’ includes 25 players, of which at least two must be goalkeepers and eight must be ‘locally trained players’. The “local players” are those who have been trained for three full seasons with the club or its national association between the ages of 15 and 21. However, at least four of the listed “local players” must have been trained in their own offspring. If a club does not meet these requirements, the squad list will be reduced by the corresponding number. The “A list” was allowed to be adjusted before the round of 16: a maximum of three new players until midnight on February 2, 2023 (24:00).

If three professionals were newly registered, three others had to be deleted. Since the 2018/19 season, late registration has been possible without restrictions. Previously, only players who had not yet played in the Europa Cup, only in the qualifying rounds or in the group phase of the Europa League could be newly registered. The latter possibility was only limited to a newcomer. On the ‘B-list’, coaches may place players born on or after 1 January 2001 who have played for that club for two consecutive years between their 15th birthday and their registration with UEFA. 16-year-olds must have spent the past two seasons at the club.

Bayer Leverkusen and Union Berlin go into the intermediate round of the Europa League

Bayer 04 Leverkusen will still be without left-back Daley Sinkgraven (26) against AS Monaco (February 16 and 23) in the second round of the Europa League – new goalkeeper Patrick Pentz (26) is needed instead of Andrey Lunev (31) the international squad of the “Werkself”. Purchasing Noah Mbamba (18, from FC Brugge) is missing, while the recovered Florian Wirtz (19) – noted on the A and B lists – is eligible to play. At Union Berlin, the three newcomers Josip Juranovic (27), Aïssa Laïdouni (26) and Jérôme Roussillon (30) are allowed to play against Ajax Amsterdam, while Timo Baumgartl (26) and Paul Seguin (27) were not included. Also missing are: Milos Pantovic (26), Levin Öztunali (26), Kevin Möhwald (29) and goalkeeper Jakob Busk (29).

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