UEFA Announce Major Champions League Rule Change One Week Before Competition Starts
- UEFA will allow participating clubs to replace one long-term injured or ill outfield player during the group stage
- Chelsea, Tottenham, and Arsenal could benefit by reintroducing key players later in the campaign.
- UEFA has also confirmed Atletico Madrid’s Metropolitano Stadium will host the 2027 Champions League final
UEFA has confirmed a major update to squad regulations just days before the start of the new Champions League season.
The change allows clubs to make one injury-related squad swap during the group stage, offering much-needed flexibility for teams facing fitness crises.
Source: Getty Images
The decision comes at a crucial moment, as six Premier League teams prepare for a demanding European schedule.
Tottenham and Arsenal, who have been given favourable draws in the group stage, kick off their Champions League campaigns on Tuesday, Chelsea and Liverpool follow on Wednesday, and Manchester City and Newcastle play on Thursday.
Clubs allowed one injury replacement
Ahead of the kickoff of the 2025/26 Champions League, UEFA has softened their stand after relaxing its rules on the addition of a new squad member during the group phase of the competition, Yahoo Sports reports.
Source: Getty Images
UEFA said in its statement:
“The Executive Committee approved an amendment to the 2025/26 UEFA men’s club competitions’ regulations to admit the temporary replacement of a maximum of one outfield player with long-term injury or illness during the league phase until matchday 6 included.
The reasoning for the adaptation is to ensure that squad lists are not unfairly reduced and players are safeguarded from additional workload pressure.”
This means teams will not have to suffer through multiple games with short squads due to injuries, per Sports Illustrated.
The final group-stage matches, played in matchday six, will mark the cut-off point for changes.
The new rule could be a lifeline for clubs like Chelsea, who are without Liam Delap until November, and Tottenham, who left £30 million signing Mathys Tel out of their original 25-man squad.
If Spurs lose an attacker, Tel could be drafted back in, and Arsenal might also take advantage by including Gabriel Jesus in their squad if the Brazilian forward proves his fitness later in the group phase.
Big names could return to European action
The summer transfer window forced managers to make tough calls when submitting their squads, with several big names omitted.
Liverpool opted to leave Federico Chiesa out, while Chelsea excluded Facundo Buononotte.
This rule change could now give managers an extra layer of flexibility to respond to injuries. It may also reduce the pressure on players to rush back from long layoffs, as clubs can now call up a replacement without leaving a spot permanently vacant.
Alongside the squad rule announcement, UEFA also confirmed that Atletico Madrid’s Metropolitano Stadium will host the 2027 Champions League final, while Warsaw’s National Stadium will stage the Women’s Champions League final.
Super Eagles stars to watch in UCL
In a related development, Legit.ng reported that Super Eagles players like Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman will represent their different clubs in the UEFA Champions League this season after the group stage draw was conducted on Thursday.
The competition enters the second season of the new format introduced last year, which has all 36 teams in a single group with each team playing eight games.
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Source: Legit.ng
