Chelsea star left with egg on face 48 hours after excited signing declaration

Club World Cup champions Chelsea have named their squad for the Champions League’s league phase and one of Enzo Maresca’s summer signings hasn’t made it onto the list

Chelsea new boy Facundo Buonanotte spoke of his excitement at playing Champions League football when he joined the Blues on loan from Brighton. Just 48 hours later, though, that dream was dashed as Enzo Maresca left the Argentine out of his European squad.

Buonanotte completed one of the more surprising deadline day switches. The 20-year-old had been linked with Leeds after spending last season on loan with relegated Leicester, but instead finds himself at Stamford Bridge.

“I am very happy, it is the first time that I will be playing in the Champions League and I hope we can have a great season,” Buonanotte told club media fter joining the Blues. “I am looking forward to playing with everyone.

Sadly for the South American, there was no place for him in Maresca’s squad for Europe. He isn’t the only one to miss out, with out-of-favour winger Raheem Sterling also left off the list.

Teams in the Champions League are also able to include players aged 21 or under on a ‘B’ list, but only if they have been at the club for two years or more. This allows the likes of Romeo Lavia, Josh Acheampong and Tyrique George to all feature without being named on the ‘A’ list, but the same doesn’t apply to new arrival Buonanotte.

READ MORE: Premier League transfer window’s biggest loser clear amid Liverpool and Arsenal debateREAD MORE: Chelsea transfer drama called out by baffled Gary Neville: ‘Why would you?’

Chelsea go into this season’s Champions League as reigning Club World Cup holders, having beaten European champions Paris Saint-Germain in the final. Their campaign begins with a tough away game against Bayern Munich, while their first home game will see Benfica visit Stamford Bridge on September 30.

The 2021 Champions League winners haven’t taken part in the competition since the 2022-23 season, when Thomas Tuchel was sacked after their first group game and successor Graham Potter led them to the quarter-finals. Real Madrid stood in their way on that occasion, winning 2-0 home and away.

Blues boss Maresca will take charge of Chelsea in his homeland of Italy for the first time, after his team was handed away trips to Atalanta and Napoli. The game in Naples will pit him against former Blues boss Antonio Conte, once his team-mate at Juventus during the pair’s playing days.

“Napoli just won the league with Antonio [Conte] and Atalanta in the last five or six years, with [former manager Gian Piero Gasperini] are for me one of the best Italian teams, also in Europe,” Maresca said. “Both are very good teams and I am happy to go back to Italy, especially to eat some good food! I’m excited for the Champions League.

“We are happy to be in the draw. We are happy, very happy, because we brought this club where this club has to be: the Champions League.”

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