Aubameyang Kicked Out, As Fernandez, Mudryk, And Felix Makes Champions League Squad For Chelsea.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has been left out of Chelsea's squad for the UEFA Champions League knockout stages, but spaces were created for new signings.

Chelsea made eight new signings in the just closed January transfer window for a combined total of £323.3m, with Enzo Fernandez joining the Blues on deadline day for a Premier League record fee of €121 million (£107m) from Benfica.

Mykhailo Mudryk's earlier arrival at Stamford Bridge from Shakhtar Donetsk in a deal worth up to £89m, came shortly after the West London club signed Portugal forward Joao Felix on a loan deal from Atletico Madrid until the end of the season.

France defender Benoit Badiashile also joined the Blues in a £35m deal last month.

This left manager Graham Potter with the dilemma of picking only three new players for the remaining matches of this season's UCL competition.

All clubs are limited to a 25-man squad and Chelsea used 24 players in the group stage, with only one of them Jorginho, leaving the club to join London neighbors Arsenal.

Clubs had to inform UEFA of their desired squad changes before 11pm on Thursday night, February 2.

Of the eight signings, Fernandez, Mudryk and Felix were included in the Chelsea's UEFA squad page, but David Datro Fofana, Noni Madueke, Andrey Santos, Gabriel Slonina and Benoit Badiashile all missed out.

However, Morocco winger Hakim Ziyech, who almost completed a loan move to Paris St-Germain on same deadline day, but the deal collapsed after Chelsea reportedly sent the wrong transfer documents three times (The first document included a mistake, the second wasn't signed and the third was submitted too late).

Gabonese forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was surprisingly omitted from the Blues UCL squad by Potter despite having started all the  Chelsea six group matches, scoring two goals.

Aubameyang joined Chelsea for £10m, and signed a two-year contract from Spanish giants Barcelona on deadline day in September, which included Marcos Alonso going the other way.

Hd has scored just three goals in 18 appearances. Having fallen out of favour, the 33-year-old was last named in Graham Potter's starting XI on 6 November when they suffered a 1-0 home defeat to league leaders Arsenal.

He has not started for Chelsea since the World Cup break, as the club have endured a difficult period in recent weeks, having won just two of their last 10 matches in all competitions.

Potter explaining on Thursday said he expected some difficult conversations with players over his Champions League squad selection.

"There will be awkward questions and conversations as that's where we are because only XI can play and certain numbers can be in squads," he told Sky Sports.

"So it's about being honest, open, respectful and as transparent as you can. We have to create an environment where you respect players want to play and respect players want to compete and help the team."

Aubameyang was left out of the matchday squad to play Fulham at Stamford Bridge on Friday night, but though he is included in Chelsea's 25-man Premier League squad along with their new signings as there are no restrictions on how many changes clubs can make. 

Chelsea will next return to European action on Wednesday, February 15 when they travel to Germany to face Borussia Dortmund in the round-of-16 of the Champions League.

They had finished top of Group E with 13 points, ahead of AC Milan, Red Bull Salzburg and Dinamo Zagreb.