Chelsea have confirmed their UEFA Champions League squad for the 2025/26 season, with Alejandro Garnacho included but summer signing Facundo Buonanotte missing out.
Enzo Maresca has named a 23-man squad, two short of UEFA’s 25-man limit, as the Blues return to Europe’s top competition after lifting the Europa Conference League last term. UEFA rules require eight locally trained players, which has shaped the squad selection.
Buonanotte, who arrived on loan from Brighton in late August, is the most high-profile omission. The 20-year-old Argentine does not feature on either the A-list or the B-list, ruling him out of the group stage. The B-list instead features Romeo Lavia, Tyrique George and Josh Acheampong.
Notable absentees also include members of Chelsea’s “bomb squad” – Raheem Sterling, Axel Disasi and David Datro Fofana – all of whom were linked with moves away this summer but stayed. Reserve goalkeeper Gabriel Slonina has also been left out, while Mykhailo Mudryk remains suspended.
Chelsea face a challenging group stage with blockbuster fixtures against Bayern Munich and Barcelona. They open their campaign at the Allianz Arena in a repeat of the 2012 final before hosting Benfica and Ajax. Trips to Qarabag, Atalanta and Napoli, as well as a home clash with Pafos, complete their league phase schedule.
With Garnacho included and Buonanotte left sidelined, Maresca has already shown he is ready to make tough calls as Chelsea aim for a strong run in Europe.
Confirmed Chelsea Champions League squad: Robert Sanchez, Filip Jorgensen; Marc Cucurella, Tosin Adarabioyo, Benoit Badiashile, Levi Colwill, Jorrel Hato, Trevoh Chalobah, Malo Gusto, Wesley Fofana, Reece James; Enzo Fernandez, Cole Palmer, Jamie Gittens, Dario Essugo, Andrey Santos, Moises Caicedo; Pedro Neto, Liam Delap, Joao Pedro, Marc Guiu, Estevao, Alejandro Garnacho.
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