CHAMPIONS LEAGUE GROUP STAGE SQUAD

Chelsea Football Club on Friday submitted our squad list for the UEFA Champions League group phase.

We can confirm that Michael Ballack has not been included on the list for the group phase. Unfortunately Michael's current injury meant, at the time of the squad submission deadline, we could not guarantee his availability for the majority of the group phase games.

Naturally we hope Michael's recovery is as quick as possible, that he returns to full training ahead of schedule and that he will then be available for the latter stages of the competition, should we qualify.

Chelsea's lists are as follows:

A List
1 CECH, Petr
3 COLE, Ashley
4 MAKELELE, Claude
5 ESSIEN, Michael
6 CARVALHO, Ricardo
7 SHEVCHENKO, Andriy
8 LAMPARD, Frank
9 SIDWELL, Steve
10 COLE, Joe
11 DROGBA, Didier
12 MIKEL, John Obi
14 PIZARRO, Claudio
15 MALOUDA, Florent
18 BRIDGE, Wayne
20 FERREIRA, Paulo
21 KALOU, Salomon
22 BEN HAIM, Tal
23 CUDICINI, Carlo
24 WRIGHT-PHILLIPS, Shaun
26 TERRY, John
33 ALEX
35 BELLETTI, Juliano
40 HILARIO, Henrique

B List
41 HUTCHINSON, Sam
42 SAWYER, Lee

Under the regulations on player eligibility for the Champions League, no club may have more than 25 players on List A during the season. Six places on List A are reserved for 'locally trained players'.

A 'locally trained player' is either a 'club-trained player' or an 'association-trained player' and no club may have more than three 'association-trained players' listed among the six

A 'club-trained player' is a player who - irrespective of his nationality and age - has been registered with his current club for a period, continuous or not, of three entire seasons or of 36 months between the age of 15 and 21.

An 'association-trained player' is a player who - irrespective of his nationality and age - has been registered with a club or with other clubs affiliated to the same national association for a period, continuous or not, of three entire seasons or of 36 months between the age of 15 and 21.

Each club is entitled to register an unlimited number of players on List B during the season.

A player may be registered on List B if he is born on or after 1 January 1986 and has been eligible to play for the club for any uninterrupted period of two years since his 15th birthday.

Scott Sinclair does not qualify as a club-trained player having not spent three seasons at Chelsea. He is not on List A. His loan to Plymouth last season makes him ineligible for List B.

Following the September 1 deadline for the submission of these lists, a club may register a maximum of three new eligible players for the remaining matches. Such registration must be completed by 1 February.