Arsenal have announced their Europa League squad for the knockout stages of the competition, but UEFA’s stricter squad regulations mean they’ve had to leave out a couple of players.
Arsenal finished top of their Europa League group with PSV going through second. Mikel Arteta’s side won five out of the six games in group A and ended on 15 points which meant as they finished first, they skip the round-of-32.
Arsenal’s Europa League campaign resumes on the 9th March which will be the round-of-16 first leg.
In the Premier League you can include unlimited under-21 players, where as the Europa League only allows you to include unlimited u21s if they’ve been at the club for two years.
If they’ve spent less than two years with the team, then they have to go on the senior squad list, with a strict limit of 25 senior players.
As a result, with the addition of Arsenal’s three January signings, there’s no space for Lino Sousa, who joined from West Bromwich Albion less than two years ago & George Lewis has also been left out because he’s now 22 and too old for the u21 list.
However, Matt Smith has been given the final senior squad spot, so he’ll be eligible to feature for Mikel Arteta’s side in midfield if necessary.
Arsenal’s senior squad list is as follows:
Ramsdale, Turner, Hillson, White, Gabriel, Saliba, Kiwior, Holding, Tomiyasu, Zinchenko, Tierney, Partey, Ødegaard, Trossard, Jorginho, Vieira, Elneny, Xhaka, Smith, Jesus, Smith Rowe, Martinelli, Nketiah, Nelson.
Bukayo Saka is still young enough to be on the B list, so he doesn’t have to be registered. Likewise, with third choice keeper, Karl Hein.
