UEFA Champions League 2025/26 squads: Which players made the cut? Who has been left out? How can Arsenal sensation Max Dowman make history?
By Lewis Mason
Updated 04/09/2025 at 09:10 GMT+1
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Clubs have submitted their squads for the league phase of the UEFA Champions League, which begins on Tuesday, September 16. British clubs have been very active in the transfer market this summer and that has led to an influx of new players in their squads - while some big names have missed the cut. Live coverage of the Champions League throughout the season will be on TNT Sports and discovery+.
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Liverpool forward Federico Chiesa, Tottenham’s Mathys Tel and Chelsea star Raheem Sterling are among the players to miss out on UEFA Champions League football this season after being omitted from the squad lists submitted by their clubs.
The squads that have been provided to UEFA are for the league phase of the competition, with clubs allowed to register a maximum of three new players to their side should they reach the knockout stages.
Clubs were required to submit List A, which can be made up of a maximum of 25 players but eight of those places are reserved exclusively for ‘locally trained players’.
There is also a B List, which UEFA says is for players "born on or after 1 January 2004 and has, since his 15th birthday, been eligible to play for the club concerned for any uninterrupted period of two years, or a total of three consecutive years with a maximum of one loan period to a club from the same association for a period not longer than one year."
With the league phase action getting underway on Tuesday September 16 - live on TNT Sports and discovery+ - we have been taking a look at who made the cut and who missed out.
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Liverpool
Let’s start with Premier League champions Liverpool, who unsurprisingly feature a whole host of new faces in their UEFA Champions League squad, with Florian Wirtz, Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike among the 22 players registered by Arne Slot.
However, with only 17 non-homegrown players allowed in the squad, Federico Chiesa has missed out on a spot.
Rio Ngumoha, who has just turned 17, has been included, after becoming the club’s youngest ever goalscorer on his Premier League debut in their 3-2 win at Newcastle.
Liverpool UEFA Champions League squad list A: Alisson, Mamardashvili, Woodman, Gomez, Endo, Van Dijk, Konate, Kerkez, Bradley, Leoni, Robertson, Frimpong, Wirtz, Szoboszlai, Mac Allister, Jones, Gravenberch, Isak, Salah, Gakpo, Ekitike, Ngumoha
List B: Nyoni, Danns, Bajcetic
Chelsea
Deadline day loan signing Facundo Buonanotte has been left out of the Chelsea squad, but Enzo Maresca has included his other summer signings.
Raheem Sterling and Axel Disasi, who have fallen out of favour at Stamford Bridge, have both been let out.
Maresca has taken a risk in including defender Levi Colwill, who has been struggling with a long-term knee injury.
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Chelsea UEFA Champions League squad list A: Sanchez, Jorgensen, Adarabioyo, Badiashile, Chalobah, Colwill, Cucurella, Fofana, Gusto, Hato, James, Caicedo, Essugo, Fernandez, Santos, Delap, Garnacho, Gittens, Guiu, Neto, Palmer, Pedro, Estevao
List B: Acheampong, George, Lavia
Tottenham
Injury has played a big part in Thomas Frank’s Tottenham selection, with James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski left out due to their fitness issues.
Mathys Tel, Radu Dragusin and Yves Bissouma - who has been heavily linked with a move away from Spurs - have also been omitted.
Tottenham UEFA Champions League squad list A: Vicario, Danso, Palhinha, Simons, Richarlison Udogie, Gray, Bergvall, Romero, Solanke, Kudus, Johnson, Porro, Spence, Odobert, Sarr, Bentancur, Kinsky, Davies, Van de Ven, Muani, Austin
Manchester City
Manchester City were the first British club to submit their squad, with new signing Gianluigi Donnarumma included as one of four goalkeepers for the 2023 winners, alongside Marcus Bettinelli, James Trafford and Stefan Ortega.
Donnarumma's exit means Lucas Chevalier is the leading goalkeeper in the squad for defending champions Paris Saint-Germain.
Manchester City UEFA Champions League squad list A: Ait-Nourim, Ake, Bettinelli, Bobb, Cherki, Dias, Doku, Donnarumma, Foden, Nico, Gvardiol, Haaland, Rodri, Khusanov, Kovacic, Marmoush, Nunes, Ortega, Reijnders, Savinho, Silva, Stones, Trafford
List B: Lewis, O’Reilly
Newcastle
A lack of club-trained players for Newcastle to include in their List A means manager Eddie Howe has been restricted to naming a squad of 21 players.
John Ruddy and Jamaal Lascelles - who captained the club during their last UEFA Champions League campaign - are among the players to have missed out on a place.
Newcastle UEFA Champions League squad list A: Pope, Ramsdale, Botman, Burn, Schar, Thiaw, Krafth, Livramento, Trippier, Guimaraes, Joelinton, Ramsey, Tonali, Willock, Woltemade, Wissa, Osula, Barnes, Elanga, Gordon, Murphy
Arsenal
Despite there being indications of Gabriel Jesus working his way back to fitness after knee surgery earlier this year, he has been left out of the Arsenal squad by Mikel Arteta.
Teenage sensation Max Dowman has been included and could become the youngest player to ever feature in Europe’s elite competition.
The record currently belongs to Youssoufa Moukoko, who was 16 years and 18 days old when he played for Borussia Dortmund in 2020.
There are six league phase matches to be played before Dowman turns 16.
Arsenal UEFA Champions League squad list A: Raya, Arrizabalaga, Setford, Saliba, Mosquera, White, Hincapie, Gabriel, Timber, Calafiori, Odegaard, Eze, Norgaard, Trossard, Madueke, Merino, Havertz, Zubimendi, Rice, Dowman, Saka, Martinelli, Gyokeres
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Napoli
Romelu Lukaku will miss the league phase for Napoli after suffering a thigh injury during pre-season.
He is expected to be out for up to four months but does not need surgery, which was the initial fear.
Napoli UEFA Champions League squad list A: Milinkovic-Savic, Beukema, Jesus, Olivera, Rrahmani, Gutierrez, Spinazzola, De Bruyne, Gilmour, Lobotka, Zambo Anguissa, McTominay, Elmas, Neres, Lang, Hojlund, Lucca, Meret, Di Lorenzo, Buongiorno, Politano
Juventus
Unsurprisingly, Polish striker Arkadiusz Milik has not been included by Juventus.
He missed last season due to injury and has been linked with a move away from Turin.
Napoli UEFA Champions League squad list A: Perin, Bremer, Gatti, Locatelli, Kelly, Conceicao, Koopmeiners, Vlahovic, Zhegrova, Kalulu, Di Gregorio, Adzic, Kostic, Thuram, Openda, Miretti, Mckennie, Pinsoglio, Rugani, Joao Mario, Cambiaso, David, Cabal
List B
Yildiz, Rouhi, Gil Puche, Scaglia, Fuscaldo
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