Zielinski and Dendoncker left out of Napoli Champions League squad list | OneFootball

Piotr Zielinski and January signing Leander Dendoncker have both been left off Napoli’s Champions League squad list for the second half of the 2023-24 campaign by coach Walter Mazzarri and his team.

Three of the Partenopei’s new recruits from the January transfer window have made the cut, namely Cyril Ngonge, Pasquale Mazzocchi and Hamed Junior Traore.

Champions League rules state that teams can include up to 25 players on their ‘A’ list for the Champions League, at least two of whom must be goalkeepers.

Clubs are allowed to add up to three players between the end of the Group Stages and the beginning of the Round of 16, but the overall squad size of 25 may not be exceeded.

32-year-old Diego Demme has also been taken off Napoli’s squad list in order to make way for the new signings.

Zielinski is set to leave Napoli on a free transfer upon the expiry ofhis contract at the end of the 2023-24 season, hence why he is no longer considered a long-term option for Napoli.

The Poland international looks set to join Serie A leaders Inter, who have informed Napoli of their negotiations with the player and his entourage according to recent reports.

Dendoncker, meanwhile, arrived on loan from Aston Villa in January. Napoli do have the right to make the deal permanent for a fee of €9m in the summer, but it remains to be seen whether they will exercise that option.

Napoli will host Barcelona at the Stadio Maradona in the first leg of their Champions League round of 16 tie, kicking off at 20.00 GMT on Wednesday February 21.

Napoli Champions League squad list

Goalkeepers: Meret, Gollini, Contini, Idasiak.

Defenders: Di Lorenzo, Mazzocchi, Rrahmani, Natan, Juan Jesus, Ostigard, Olivera, Mario Rui.