Stars from Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool are among those to have been brutally excluded from Champions League squads before the start of the 2025-26 league phase.
Clubs are permitted to register 25-player squads, but they must include four ‘club-trained’ players within that total, leading to a host of difficult decisions for several sides.
We’ve combed through all 36 squads to pick out the most notable exclusions, most of whom are no doubt on the phone to their agents demanding to know what the eff is going on.
Federico Chiesa
Chiesa, who has become a cult hero at Liverpool despite his lack of playing time, missed the cut as only 17 non-homegrown players are allowed on the list.
The arrival of Alexander Isak on deadline day forced Arne Slot’s hand and the Reds manager has plumped for teenage sensation Rio Ngumoha over Chiesa.
Nguomha didn’t qualify for the B list, as, according to UEFA regulations, he had to have been eligible to play for Liverpool for two consecutive years since his 15th birthday to qualify and he was only signed from Chelsea last summer.
So Chiesa will be confined to domestic competitions until February at the earliest. A crying shame for a talented player unable to catch a break.
Mathys Tel
It is an embarrassment for Spurs that their A-list only features 22 players.
Only reserve goalkeeper Brandon Austin counts as a player homegrown by the club, meaning Thomas Frank has made some tough decisions.
While the exclusion of James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski, both long-term injury absentees, and the unwanted Yves Bissouma makes sense, the absence of Tel is eyebrow-raising and face reddening for the club.
Tel arrived on loan in January with suggestions that others were interested in the then-teenager, including Manchester United and Arsenal.
But he’s only made brief substitute appearances since signing for £30million over the summer, with Frank clearly unconvinced by the player.
Facundo Buonanotte
Chelsea have only named three ‘club-trained’ players – Reece James, Trevoh Chalobah and the long-term injured Levi Colwill – of the required four, meaning they could only name a 24-man squad.
With grim predictability, the Club World Cup champions have excluded Buonanotte.
The deadline-day signing from Brighton had previously expressed his excitement about playing in the Champions League this season, but that did little to sway arguably football’s most heartless club.
Expect Buonanotte to spend the season warming the bench before being sold at an inexplicable profit to Strasbourg, while the FA watches on impassively.
Romelu Lukaku
Napoli have named their squad for this season’s UEFA Champions League, with new striker Rasmus Hojlund registered and Romelu Lukaku excluded due to his injury.
New signings Lorenzo, Noa Lang, Elmas Elmas, Brushne's Beauty, Sam Beukema and Sam Beukema and other been in the squad.
The big striker scored 14 goals during Napoli’s Serie A title-winning campaign last year and Antonio Conte will miss his goalscoring expertise during the league phase.
Gabriel Jesus
Out since January with an ACL injury, Arsenal have decided to exclude Jesus from their Champions League squad with apparently little prospect of the striker recovering before the start of 2026.
If Arsenal make it through to the knockout stages, they will be able to make tweaks to their squad.
Max Dowman will be able to move to the B List after his 16th birthday, freeing up a spot on the A List for Jesus if he is fit to return.
Arsenal will kick off their European campaign away to Athletic Bilbao on September 16, while their first home game comes 15 days later against Olympiacos.
They will then face Atletico Madrid, Slavia Prague, Bayern Munich and Club Brugge before the turn of the year, followed by matches with Inter Milan and Kairat Almaty in January.
Presnel Kimpembe
PSG defend their Champions League title with a squad packed full of talent – and one notable absentee.
The academy graduate should leave the Parisiens, as he has been announced as close to joining Qatar to continue and restart his career, having been absent from the side for almost two years.
Jamal lascelles
Newcastle sold Alexander Isak and club-trained player Sean Longstaff over the summer, who both played in the club’s last Champions League campaign two years ago.
But the additions of Anthony Elanga, Aaron Ramsdale, Malick Thiaw, Jacob Ramsey, Nick Woltemade and Yoane Wissa mean that others who remain at St James’ Park have also fallen by the wayside.
One of those is Lascelles, who captained Newcastle in their 2023-24 European campaign, but has fallen by the wayside amid stiff competition at centre-back.
READ NEXT: Champions League fixtures: Liverpool get tough schedule, Arsenal get off lightly…
TRY A QUIZ: Can you name every Champions League team in 2025-26?
