Facundo Buonanotte’s loan move has opened up a spot in Chelsea’s Champions League squad.
Chelsea will return to Champions League action on Wednesday with a home match against Pafos, from Cyprus.
So far, the Blues have three wins, one draw, and two losses in the group stage. There is still work to be done to secure a top-eight finish and a direct path to the round of 16.
There will be some changes in Chelsea’s squad after Buonanotte completed his loan move to Leeds United for the rest of the season. And a 20-year-old midfielder is expected to benefit from that.
Dario Essugo set for Champions League return following injury
With Dario Essugo now fit again, the club have decided to include him in the Champions League squad for the rest of the season.
It is an interesting turn of events, as Essugo was initially dropped from the European squad earlier in the season to make room for Buonanotte.
The Athletic reports that he will be officially added ahead of Chelsea’s match against Pafos on Wednesday.
In Essugo’s position, Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo and Andrey Santos are the current names available, while Romeo Lavia is still working his way back from injury.
When Dario Essugo made his three appearances for Chelsea
Essugo’s only first-team minutes for Chelsea came during the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, where he featured in three matches over the course of June.
His absence from Premier League and domestic cup action has been down to a long-term injury, which has kept him sidelined since then.
Enzo Maresca has already spoken highly of the young midfielder, who joined Chelsea just last summer and impressed early on.
Given Marc Guiu’s recent start against Arsenal under Liam Rosenior, it would not be surprising to see Essugo earn some playing time once he is fully fit.
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