Real Madrid include Courtois, Militão and 11 academy players on Champions League roster

UEFA have released the full list of Champions League rosters submitted by the 32 clubs competing in the 2023/24 group stage, some of whom, including LaLiga champions Barcelona, had already announced it themselves. Clásico rivals Real Madrid, by contrast, left it up to European soccer’s governing body to let us know their squad for the first round, which includes injured duo Thibaut Courtois and Eder Militão.

Courtois and Militão set to miss most of the season

Both the goalkeeper and the centre-back suffered ACL tears within days of one another in August. Although no definitive timeframe has been put on their respective returns to action, they are expected to miss the majority of the season and, barring the invention of a miracle cure, will not be able to play in the group stage.

How many players can clubs include on their Champions League roster?

Each competing club must submit a List A squad for the competition, which is made up of a maximum of 25 players, at least two of whom must be goalkeepers and eight must be “locally trained”. Such “homegrown” players must have been trained by their club or by another club in the same national association for at least three years between the ages of 15 and 21, regardless of their nationality.

There are no major shocks as to who is in or out, with the inclusion of summer arrival Arda Güler perhaps the most eye-catching considering he has yet to make an appearance for his new team due to his own fitness problems. Academy players Fran González, a goalkeeper, and defender Vinicius Tobias have been submitted as List A players.

Which players can be included on List B?

Los Blancos have also submitted nine List B players, although competition rules state they have until midnight (CET) the night before each match to inform UEFA of which players are on this particular list, which could change from one game to the next. There is no limitation in terms of numbers.

A player can be registered on List B if he is born on, or after, 1 January 2002 and has been eligible to play for the club for any uninterrupted period of two years after his 15th birthday (players aged 16 can be submitted if they have been registered with the club for the previous two years).

Real Madrid’s roster for the 2023-24 Champions League group stage