Chelsea have axed Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from their 25-man Champions League squad. Manager Graham Potter needed to make room for January signings Joao Felix, Mykhaylo Mudryk and Enzo Fernandez, while four other big names joined Aubameyang in being snubbed from the list.
The Blues only signed Aubameyang last summer, snapping him up from Barcelona in a deadline day move that saw him reunite with former Borussia Dortmund boss Thomas Tuchel. The sirens may have started blaring for the striker, however, when Tuchel was sacked by Chelsea just days after the window slammed shut.
With only one Premier League goal to his name all season, the former Arsenal forward has tumbled down the pecking order under Potter, who evidently prefers other options up top. Supporters knew that the boss would have to make a big decision, with 23 of 25 the spaces in his Champions League squad already filled.
UEFA only permit three new eligible players to be registered before this week’s deadline. Felix, Mudryk and Fernandez were the obvious candidates to be included, meaning one existing squad player was destined to drop out.
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With only three new signings able to be registered, £35million recruit Benoit Badiashile, who has played two full games in the Premier League since arriving from Monaco, didn’t make the cut either. Exciting £29m winger Noni Madueke also missed out following his January switch from PSV Eindhoven.
Two of the more predictable omissions belong to Brazilian teenager Andrey Santos and Ivory Coast international David Datro Fofana, both of whom arrived at Stamford Bridge last month for a combined £28m. Early signs of a rift between Potter and Aubameyang sprung up during at tie against Manchester City in January, during which the striker came on as a substitute, only to be substituted before the end of the game.
“He came on after one minute and hadn’t played for a while,” explained Potter after the final whistle. “He put in a shift for us and I thought he did his bit for the team. He fatigued a bit so we thought we needed a bit of energy and the subs brought that.
“I haven’t had time to speak to him in depth but he understands. Players want to help the team and it’s a decision that had to be made. He gave everything for the team. That was the decision.”
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