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Chelsea FC released their squad for the Champions League group stage and most of it was expected but there was a surprise in store. That surprise was the exclusion of newly-signed defender Papy Djilobodji from FC Nantes. Chelsea brought the defender in on deadline day for around £3m and he was expected to provide cover at centerback for the Blues.
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He may still provide that cover but it will not be in the group stages of the Champions League as the Blues preferred either Kenedy or Bertrand Traore over the Senegalese defender. Under UEFA regulations, clubs can only register 18 players in a 25-man squad that are non-homegrown. The Blues had 19 after purchasing Djilobodji and have instead chosen to include the two attacking midfielders.
Despite the guffaws and derision headed towards Chelsea FC’s way for purchasing a player on deadline day and not including him in the Champions League squad, this decision has a simple explanation. Perhaps not quite simple enough for the 140 character restriction on Twitter however.
This squad is only for the group stages of the Champions League. Joining Chelsea FC in the group are three sides that could be described as “lower-tier” clubs. Maccabi Haifa and Dynamo Kiev are both clubs with little pedigree and while FC Porto has a history of European success it should not be much of a challenge for Chelsea to win their group.
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With the way the schedule is set up now, the Blues will hope to qualify and win the group with at least two matches to go in their group and that is an excellent chance to give young players like Traore and Kenedy a chance. Papy Djilobodji is a much more experienced player at 27, and while he has not played in the Champions League he still has nearly a decade more of top-flight experience than the 19-year-old wingers.
If the Blues qualify for the knockout stages then they will have a chance to submit another squad and it is at that point that Papy Djilobodji can be included as part of the squad. When the matches become more intense and the level of competition increases then Chelsea will need the additional defensive cover that he can provide. The opportunities for those young players will be long gone by the time the knockout stages roll around and so the less impressive of the two will be left off the squad.
As for getting acclimated with his teammates, Jose Mourinho can integrate his new centerback through domestic competitions. Whether it is the League Cup, FA Cup, or Premier League, Djilobodji will get his chance to line up alongside his brothers in blue. He will just have to wait a little longer to make his European debut.
Full Chelsea FC Champions League Group Stage Squad via UEFA.com:
Goalkeepers: Asmir Begovic, Thibaut Courtois, Jamal Blackman
Defenders: Branislav Ivanovic, Kurt Zouma, Abdul Rahman Baba, Gary Cahill, John Terry, Cesar Azpilicueta
Midfielders: Cesc Fabregas, Ramires, John Obi Mikel, Nemanja Matic
Attackers: Oscar, Eden Hazard, Bertrand Traore, Kenedy, Pedro, Willian
Forwards: Radamel Falcao, Loic Remy, Diego Costa
List B: Ruben Loftus-Cheek
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