New Manchester City signings to be blocked from UEFA Champions League registration for Real Madrid tie and knockout stage | OneFootball

Manchester City officials will have a dilemma to contend with when it comes to registering new players for their UEFA Champions League knockout stage squad.

Pep Guardiola’s squad booked themselves a place in the play-off round for the last-16 earlier this year after a hugely challenging league phase format in the competition – the first time in which the revamped edition of the tournament has ben put into action.

Having started the campaign with a 0-0 draw to Inter Milan and convincing wins against Slovan Bratislava and Sparta Prague, City then went on a four-game streak of heavy defeats and calamitous home performances.

A 4-1 loss to Ruben Amorim’s Sporting CP was followed up by a 3-3 home draw to Feyenoord having led the contest 3-0 with 15 minutes remaining, then going on to lose 2-0 away to Juventus and throw away a 0-2 lead at Paris Saint-Germain to suffer a 4-2 defeat.

Those results meant that Manchester City had to record a win on the final matchday over Club Brugge in order to avoid automatic elimination, and they did just that despite losing at the half-time interval and going on to win 3-1 at the Etihad Stadium.

City contested their final two matches of the league phase without any of their new signings with UEFA rules stating that changes can only be made prior to the next phase of the competition. However, it seems as though a significant dilemma faces the club.

As per details provided by the Manchester Evening News’ Simon Bajkowski, Manchester City will only be able to register three new signings for their squad for the second stage of the UEFA Champions League, with submitted by Thursday 6 February.

Of Abdukodir Khusanov, Vitor Reis, Omar Marmoush, Nico Gonzalez, and Claudio Echeverri, the Premier League champions will only be able to register three having not met the criteria to add any more.

It is explained that UEFA only allows four to be registered if more than five players in the squad for the group stage have left, and five additions if more than seven have left.

The report speculates that Echeverri is likeliest to be left out as he is not available for the Real Madrid tie due to international commitments with Argentina’s Under-20s, while Vitor Reis is the youngest of the new recruits and plays in the same position as Abdukodir Khusanov.

There remains a possibility that Manchester City could also consider the inclusion of Rodri in their knockout stage squad for the UEFA Champions League, with the Spaniard determined to play some part in the season despite a serious double knee injury.

The Ballon d’Or winner was seemingly ruled out for the remainder of the campaign from last September, although has been outspoken in his desire to feature for his country or Manchester City in competitive action before next season.

Oscar Bobb is another name that is likely to return to action after his leg fracture last August, although it is understood that the Norwegian, alongside Rico Lewis, qualifies to be named among the club’s B List squad.