Chelsea make new Champions League squad decision after injury blow confirmed

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Evening Standard

·16. September 2025

Chelsea make new Champions League squad decision after injury blow confirmed

Summer signing had originally been left out

Your matchday briefing on Chelsea, featuring team news and expert analysis from Dom Smith

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Chelsea have confirmed that Facundo Buonanotte will be included in their Champions League squad after their summer signing was initially omitted.

The Argentine had been left out of Enzo Maresca’s squad with the Blues struggling to fill their homegrown quota, which meant that some first-team names would not make the cut.

Buonanotte, signed on loan from Brighton for the season, was initially one of them - along with the Blues’ so-called ‘bomb squad’ - but now he has been called into it in a last-minute change ahead of the Conference League winners’ first game back at the top table.

Buonanotte replaces the injured Dario Essugo in the squad after the midfielder was ruled out long-term following surgery on a thigh problem.

Essugo suffered the injury on international duty, playing for Portugal’s under-21 side, and the recently-adjusted Article 31.14 C of UEFA's Champions League regulations means that Chelsea are able to make an amendment to their squad list.

The west Londoners take on Bayern Munich in their opening league phase game, which could see Buonanotte feature.

An intriguing name that could play tomorrow is Nicolas Jackson, who UEFA regulations rule can play against his parent club.

The Senegalese was wrapped up in chaos ahead of his loan move to the Bundesliga champions, but issues with the deal were resolved ahead of the transfer deadline.