Chelsea Champions League squad 2025/26: League phase roster including nearly all new signings

The transfer window is seemingly always an adventure for Chelsea under new owners BlueCo, and the summer of 2025 was no different.

Chelsea did significant business, incredibly ending up with a positive net spend despite making significant investments for players like Joao Pedro, Jamie Gittens, and Alejandro Garnacho.

The Blues will play in the Champions League this season thanks to their fourth-place finish in last season's Premier League table, but their heavy activity in recent years means the club is operating under minor squad restrictions when it comes to European competition.

The Sporting News details what players made their Champions League squad, who was left out, and what the restrictions are that held the Blues from registering the full list of players that most clubs are afforded.

MORE: Which club spent the most money in the summer transfer window? | Net spend for Premier League clubs

Chelsea Champions League squad for 2025/26 league phase

Chelsea registered 23 players on their Champions League A List roster for the 2025/26 league phase.

Clubs are allowed 25 total players, but due to UEFA sanctions for financial regulation breaches, Chelsea are only able to add new players to the roster who combined to have a positive net spend from those who were simultaneously deregistered from their previous A List.

Additionally, the roster must include at least four "club trained" players (explained below), but because they have only three, the fourth spot must be left empty.

Notable exclusions include Facundo Buonanotte, Axel Disasi, Raheem Sterling, and David Datro Fofana. Clubs are able to make up to three changes after the league phase, so some of those players could potentially find themselves in the mix in 2026 should Chelsea reach the knockout phase.

* "Club trained" player (a player with the club for three seasons or 36 total months between the ages of 15 and 21 years old)
** "Association trained" player (a player who qualifies as "club trained" for another club in the same association

Other players eligible to play for Chelsea in Champions League

To incentivise youth development, UEFA requires certain roster rules as part of a club's 25-player squad.

Each roster requires eight players who are "locally trained." Four of those must be "club trained" players who were registered with the club for three seasons or 36 total months between the ages of 15 and 21 years old. Four more players must be "association trained" meaning they are club trained by another club in the registering team's same country — in Chelsea's case, England.

However, there are also some additional flexibilities. Clubs can have a List B, which includes players who are 21 or younger and have been with the club at least two years.

For Chelsea, players of such status include Romeo Lavia, Tyrique George and Josh Acheampong, who are eligible to participate in matches, as are any of their youth team members.

In addition, Chelsea's third goalkeeper Gaga Slonina can be added to the roster as an "emergency goalkeeper" should an injury to one of the currently registered players occur. UEFA states that "if at any point a club cannot count on the services of at least two goalkeepers registered on List A, a replacement after the relevant deadlines is permitted."

This can occur in the event of either an injury, or an outgoing transfer of a player on the list.

Chelsea Champions League league phase schedule

Chelsea were drawn against European giants Bayern Munich and Barcelona in the league phase of this year's Champions League, opening their fixture list with a road match in Germany while the Spanish giants visit in November.

They also have home matches against Benfica, Ajax, and Kazakhstani newcomers Pafos, and will visit Italy twice to meet Atalanta and Napoli while also traveling to Azerbaijan to face Qarabag. 

All times local, meaning home games are BST (5 hours ahead of ET) and away games are CET (6 hours ahead of ET).