Chelsea Add Facundo Buonanotte to Champions League Squad After Injury to Dario Essugo

Chelsea have confirmed that Facundo Buonanotte has replaced Dario Essugo in their Champions League squad, after the Portuguese midfielder underwent thigh surgery that will sideline him for at least 12 weeks.

The Blues kick off their European campaign against Bayern Munich on Wednesday, with Buonanotte now eligible to feature following the squad change permitted under UEFA Champions League squad rules.

Why Dario Essugo was removed from Chelsea Champions League squad

Essugo, 20, sustained the injury while on international duty earlier this month and required surgery.

The setback is expected to rule him out for the majority of the Champions League group stage, which runs until late January.

UEFA’s regulations allow clubs to replace outfield players suffering from a “long-term” injury of at least 60 days.

Once Essugo recovers, Chelsea will be able to reinstate him — but only after that 60-day minimum has passed.

Essugo, who arrived from Sporting CP in an £18.5 million deal in June, had featured three times at the FIFA Club World Cup but was still waiting for his Premier League debut before the injury struck.

Facundo Buonanotte named in Chelsea Champions League squad

Buonanotte, also 20, was one of the headline omissions from Chelsea’s initial 23-man Champions League squad named in early September.

His loan arrival from Brighton on deadline day meant he narrowly missed out on selection — until now.

The attacking midfielder made his Chelsea debut in Saturday’s 2-2 Premier League draw with Brentford, though he was withdrawn at half-time.

Prior to joining the Blues, he had been close to a loan switch to Leeds United, only for Chelsea to hijack the deal in the final hours of the transfer window.

With Essugo sidelined, Buonanotte will now have the chance to prove himself on the European stage.

Chelsea Injury News vs Bayern Munich

Enzo Maresca has several other fitness concerns as Chelsea prepare for their Champions League opener.

Estevao missed the Brentford match through illness but returned to training and should be available.

Meanwhile, Romeo Lavia and Benoit Badiashile, neither of whom have played this season due to injuries, were also spotted in training. However, their involvement on Wednesday remains uncertain.

Raheem Sterling is training away from the group and continues to be frozen out, while a similar situation is ongoing for Axel Disasi.

Chelsea’s updated Champions League squad provides a lifeline for Buonanotte, while Essugo faces a long recovery that leaves his debut campaign at Stamford Bridge on hold.