Only three of the club’s slate of new signings will play in the Champions League
Enzo Fernandez, Mykhailo Mudryk and Joao Felix are set to be the three players added to Chelsea’s Champions League squad for the knockout stages.
Chelsea qualified for the latter stages, where they will face Borussia Dortmund in the last 16 stages as they look to life the European crown for the third time.
The Blues have also been extremely busy in the January window, signing eight new players – Benoit Badiashile, Andrey Santos, David Datro Fofana, Felix, Mudryk, Fernandez, Noni Madueke and Malo Gusto.
Smile, and the whole world smiles with you. 😁 pic.twitter.com/TiDhCwlzgB
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) February 1, 2023
However, as per Champions League rules, Graham Potter can only register three new players, meaning that one of the current 25-man squad will also have to lose their place.
According to Matt Law of The Telegraph, club-record signing Fernandez, Ukrainian star Mudryk and Felix will be the trio added to the squad.
Yet to receive confirmation from the club or Uefa but my expectation is Fernandez, Mudryk and Felix will all be registered to play for Chelsea in the Champions League. Not so easy to predict is the one player who will be unregistered….
— Matt Law (@Matt_Law_DT) February 3, 2023
‘We have a very strong group of players’
Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang is the casualty to drop outside of the squad, meaning that there is no room for Chelsea’s only out and out striker.
Enzo Fernandez made his Chelsea debut on Friday when they hosted west London rivals Fulham at Stamford Bridge. Both sides have European aspirations but with Chelsea languishing in 10th, their hopes of qualifying for the Champions League via a top four finish seem unlikely.
The game ended in a 0-0 draw and Graham Potter would tell the BBC that his ever-evolving squad are finding their feet with each passing day.
“They’ve been together a while,” he said. “We’re a different stage of that – players coming back from injury and new players. We needed time to settle everything down. We were missing the connection, fluidity and confidence that comes from knowing each other.
“The decision we took in the window you can see the profile in terms of age. We feel we have a very strong group of players. We have to gel and become a really good team. That’s where the work is.
“It’s working together. When players have been injured they have not been on the training pitch. We have new players with us. It’s about getting ideas across and working with the group.”
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