Chelsea have until 11pm to name their updated UEFA Champions League squad list following an eventful January transfer window under Graham Potter and Todd Boehly.
Having finalised a deal for number one target Enzo Fernandez in the dying embers of transfer deadline day, the Blues committed to spending over £30 million on their eight winter additions.
Potter will hope the likes of Fernandez, alongside fellow additions such as Mykhailo Mudryk, can inspire a much-improved second half of the season. The Blues face an all-important two-legged UEFA Champions League round of 16 clash against Borussia Dortmund in just under two weeks.
READ MORE: Enzo Fernandez first words on Chelsea transfer after completing £106m deadline day Benfica move
Nevertheless, current UEFA rules on squad registration state: "As of the knockout round play-offs, a club may register a maximum of three new eligible players for the remaining matches in the current competition. Such registration must be completed by 2 February 2023 (24.00CET) at the latest. This deadline cannot be extended.
"Any or all of the players from the above quota of three may have been fielded for another club in the qualifying phase, play-offs or group stage of the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League or UEFA Europa Conference League."
Effectively, Chelsea can only add three new signings to their Champions League squad. Players are available for selection even if they featured for their previous clubs in European competitions this season.
As always, the maximum number of players that can be named in the squad is 25. The removal of Jorginho following his exit simplifies things slightly, bringing the current total of players selected to 23. However, one more player must be removed if three new signings are to be added.
The current Chelsea Champions League squad is as follows: Kepa Arrizabalaga, Marcus Betinelli, Edouard Mendy; Thiago Silva, Trevoh Chalobah, Ben Chilwell, Reece James, Kalidou Koulibaly, Cesar Azpilicueta, Marc Cucurella, Wesley Fofana, N'Golo Kante, Mateo Kovacic, Christian Pulisic, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Raheem Sterling, Mason Mount, Denis Zakaria, Hakim Ziyech, Conor Gallagher, Carney Chukwuemeka, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Kai Havertz.
B list: Charlie Webster, Lewis Hall, Armando Broja.
With Potter facing a dilemma over who to remove, football.london examines the likely candidates to drop out of the Blues' Champions League squad.
Hakim Ziyech
If all had gone to plan, Hakim Ziyech would no longer be a Chelsea player. After spending deadline day in Paris attempting to finalise a move to the French capital, sources told football.london that PSG were left incensed at Chelsea for not sending the correct documentation in time to complete a deal.
It is understood that Ziyech is heartbroken at the move collapsing and had a burning desire to depart West London following his move to Chelsea in 2020. With opportunities destined to be even more limited for the Moroccan after the signings of Mudryk and Noni Madueke, could wantaway Ziyech find himself out of the Champions League squad after making his transfer position clear?
Ziyech does, though, have previous for performing well on the European stage. He was the heartbeat of Ajax's run to the 2019 semi-finals and featured during Chelsea's successful campaign of 2021.
Christian Pulisic
Alongside Ziyech, American winger Christian Pulisic is likely to find himself lower down the pecking order than he did at the start of January.
Pulisic, too, has struggled to nail down a consistent starting spot throughout his time at Stamford Bridge. The USA international has failed to complete 90 minutes in the Premier League, starting on just six occasions.
Perhaps significantly also, Pulisic is set for a spell on the sidelines after suffering a knee injury. "Christian is a couple of months we think. Raheem is less, hopefully, less than that," Potter said in January, seemingly ruling him out of fixtures against his former club.
There is a strong argument to suggest he is the favourite to drop out.
Carney Chukwuemeka
Including Carney Chukwuemeka's name on this list is not indicative of his talent and can, very fairly, be judged as harsh.
With the addition of Fernandez, a midfield sport is likely to be filled. This may just convince Potter to opt for a like-for-like replacement in the squad. Chukwuemeka has not featured in any European match this season, either.
Again, it may not be wholly accurate to describe the two as distinctively similar. Chukwuemeka is proficient in operating within forward areas and pockets of space, while Fernandez progresses the ball expertly from deeper regions of the pitch as well as being robust out of possession.
If Chukwuemeka is a squad casualty, that is not to say he will not enjoy a long and successful career at Stamford Bridge following his summer move from Aston Villa.
N'Golo Kante
It would take immense bravery for any manager to leave N'Golo Kante out of a Champions League squad. But having made just two appearances this season, could there be logic in such a move?
At his peak, Kante was one of the world's best in his role. The Frenchman's contribution to Chelsea's recent Champions League win cannot be put into words after being named man of the match in both legs of the semi-final against Real Madrid and the final against Manchester City.
Some would argue that those days are no longer, sadly. Plagued by injuries for the last 18 months or so, a hamstring blow is destined to keep him out until March, subsequently missing the Dortmund games.
Fernandez's arrival does provide Potter with a player that can fulfil similar functions to those that have been asked of Kante historically.
READ NEXT:
Fernandez signs, Gusto plan - Chelsea's best and worst case transfer deadline day scenarios
Chelsea set Enzo Fernandez priority amid deadline day obstacle to continue Todd Boehly rebuild
Sergio Aguero claims Todd Boehly has changed Chelsea with £88m Mykhailo Mudryk transfer
Find the footballs on the football.london website to win cash prize, vouchers and TV worth £3,000
Chelsea news and transfers LIVE: All the latest news, rumours and gossip from Stamford Bridge
