Chelsea have left one of their summer signings out of their Champions League squad for the league phase – despite him saying he was looking forward to playing in the competition.
The first matches of the 2025-26 Champions League season will take place after the international break and teams have now named their squads, but have faced making awkward omissions due to UEFA restrictions.
There are 17 slots available for players who do not qualify as homegrown, with teams able to name 25 players in total, though four must have been trained by clubs in the same league and four by the club itself.
Tottenham, for example, have left out one of their big-name summer signings, while Liverpool have excluded Federico Chiesa from their options to choose from in the first stage of the competition.
And it’s no different for Chelsea. With Ezno Maresca having an inflated squad upon his side’s return to the competition, he has had to leave out some big names who may have expected to have been included.
One of those players is summer loan signing Facundo Buonanotte, who joined on a temporary basis from Brighton – and he awkwardly had expressed his excitement at playing in the Champions League for the Blues when signing.
Facundo Buonanotte has been left out of Chelsea’s Champions League squad despite expressing his excitement of playing in the competition
The midfielder joined Chelsea on loan from Brighton late on in the window in a surprise move
In his announcement video, the 20-year-old said: ‘It’s a great step in my career. I’ll get the opportunity to play in the Champions League for the first time, which will be a great challenge.’
He now, though, must wait until at least the knockout stages – which begin in February – if he wants that to happen.
Chelsea only named 24 players rather than 25, because they left a club-trained space empty. The three club-trained players included are Reece James, Levi Colwill and Trevoh Chalobah.
New signings Jorell Hato, Jamie Gittens and Estevao have all made the cut, as well as the likes of Cole Palmer, Liam Delap and Joao Pedro.
Players aged 21 and under who have been at the club more than two years – as well as any academy players – are allowed to play too in addition to the 25 players. The likes of Romeo Lavia, Tyrique George and Josh Acheampong all qualify in that regard.
There was a risk that Chelsea could have faced further limitations to their squad after they were fined by UEFA for breaching financial regulations and were told they had to have a ‘positive transfer balance’ from their Conference League squad to their Champions League squad.
From the Conference League A list squad for the second half of last season, Chelsea sold the likes of Noni Madueke and Christopher Nkunku, while Nicolas Jackson has joined Bayern Munich on loan.
Buonanotte, meanwhile, is the attacker who has failed to make the cut for the squad in what is a blow to the midfielder’s aspirations for the season.
Alejandro Garnacho has also been included in Chelsea’s squad following his move from Manchester United.
Blues boss Enzo Maresca had to make difficult omissions from his squad due to UEFA rulings
Buonanotte, who was relegated with Leicester during a loan spell last season, was due to sign for Leeds United until Chelsea stepped in on Thursday evening.
He could still have a role to play in the Premier League, but already faces a fight to earn his place in the team after the early setback.
Chelsea will kick off their campaign against Bayern Munich is Germany on September 17.
