When Manchester United confirmed the exit of Jadon Sancho late on deadline day, there was a feeling of quiet satisfaction at Old Trafford.
After a lengthy summer saga, they had managed to secure departures for four of the five stars from their ‘Bomb Squad’ – Marcus Rashford to Barcelona, Antony to Real Betis, Alejandro Garnacho to Chelsea and Sancho to Aston Villa – and although Tyrell Malacia still remains, the defender may depart to a country where the window remains open.
But no sooner had the window closed and the next ‘Bomb Squad’ was developing in regards to those exiled from clubs’ European squads.
Teams rushed to register their lists on Wednesday for various European competitions, with several facing battles in regards to ‘locally trained players’, where the rules are stricter than those on offer in the Premier League.
Within each squad, 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.
And as managers scratched their heads with the tough decisions they faced, several big names will have woken up this morning feeling a little flat, and frustrated, at their snub.
In light of that, Daily Mail Sport has taken a look at some of the big names excluded by the nine English teams competing in Europe this season and attempted to come up with an XI of footballers who have been left on the squad scraphead.
Jadon Sancho was a member of Man United’s ‘Bomb Squad’ before he joined Aston Villa
But as clubs registered their squads for European competition a new ‘Bomb Squad’ developed
Goalkeeper
Angus Gunn – Nottingham Forest
The least high profile position in terms of those exiled, but back-up keeper Angus Gunn failed to make the cut for Nottingham Forest less than a month after signing for the club.
It must be noted that Forest only have one ‘club-trained’ player in the squad, meaning they can only include 22 stars, something that has seen them pick just two goalkeepers.
Defenders
Axel Disasi – Chelsea
Axel Disasi is a member of Chelsea’s Bomb Squad, and despite links with several clubs across Europe the Blues weren’t able to find a new home for a defender they signed for £38.5million just two years ago.
Disasi has been training away from Enzo Maresca’s group over the summer and a disappointing loan spell at Aston Villa during the second half of last season failed to convinced potential suitors, although the five-cap French international has been linked with a move to Saudi Arabia.
Radu Dragusin – Tottenham
Radu Dragusin is still out with a knee injury he picked up last season, although he is expected to return in mid-October, by which point Tottenham will still have six League Phase fixtures left.
He is likely to be disappointed by Thomas Frank’s decision then, even though it makes good sense to protect him from the temptation to play in every game when he comes back to fitness following a lengthy absence.
Jair Cunha – Nottingham Forest
Although Jair Cunha is only 20-years-old and a potential star of the future, his absence after Nottingham Forest paid £10m for the 6ft 6ins Brazilian this summer does raise eyebrows.
Morato and Willy Boly have been preferred to support Murillo and Nikola Milenkovic at centre back, and a few run-outs in among a hectic schedule would have been perfect for Cunha’s development, especially having had experience in the Copa Libertadores and Club World Cup.
Oleksandr Zinchenko – Nottingham Forest
Although the absence of Forest’s record signing Omari Hutchinson is the headline news, Oleksandr Zinchenko’s omission is more surprising from a football point of view.
Nuno Espirito Santo had bemoaned the lack of cover he had at full-back, while in a squad light on European experience you feel Zinchenko’s pedigree would have been crucial.
Axel Disasi failed to get a move this summer and he is part of Chelsea’s ‘Bomb Squad’
Oleksandr Zinchenko’s absence from Nottingham Forest’s squad has raised some eyebrows
Midfielders
Ross Barkley – Aston Villa
Another strange chapter in Ross Barkley’s career sees him miss out on Aston Villa’s Europa League squad despite their group being light on midfield options and the 31-year-old offering experience and versatility.
Barkley’s summer has been disrupted by injury and he is yet to play a minute in 2025-26 and it feels as if Unai Emery’s hopes of seeing ‘the best’ of the former England international this season already feels unlikely.
Facundo Buonanotte – Chelsea
‘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,’ Facundo Buonanotte said after joining Chelsea on a season-long loan from Brighton.
Fast forward a few days and Buonanotte would have faced the realisation that he was not part of Chelsea’s group, potentially causing some awkward interactions at the Blues’ Cobham training base.
Ross Barkley wasn’t in Villa’s Europa League squad despite his experience and versatility
Forwards
Omari Hutchinson – Nottingham Forest
Leaving out your club’s record signing is a bold move from any manager but perhaps it is symptomatic of the tensions behind the scenes between Nuno Espirito Santo and former Arsenal chief Edu who is now Forest’s head of global football.
Omari Hutchinson arrived for £37.5m to much fanfare and will now be left confused, although Nuno may point to the six forwards named in his squad – plus James McAtee and Morgan Gibbs-White – as to why his decision was the right one.
Federico Chiesa – Liverpool
Mathys Tel – Tottenham
Gabriel Jesus – Arsenal
