Tottenham face List A limits as CL group stage begins

The 2025-26 UEFA Champions League group stage returns next week with a high-profile opening slate of matches and early squad headaches for several contenders, as Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and a quartet of Serie A clubs prepare for kick-off. Arsenal travel to Athletic Bilbao and Tottenham host Villarreal on Tuesday, September 16, marking the start of a competition that promises to test depth and fitness across Europe’s elite sides.

Tottenham’s return to the Champions League has been accompanied by difficult selection decisions. Manager Thomas Frank confirmed his List A squad for the group stage on Monday, leaving out two summer signings and several other notable names as a result of squad rules and injury problems. The omission of new arrivals Kota Takai and Mathys Tel, plus the absence of midfield mainstay Yves Bissouma who has been linked with moves to Saudi Arabia or Turkey, were among the most eye-catching exclusions. Long-term injuries to James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski and Radu Dragusin also ruled them out of the A list.

The decision was driven in part by UEFA regulations on locally trained players. UEFA rules state that if a club has fewer than eight locally trained...