Hakim Ziyech set for new Chelsea axe after deadline-day move collapses
Hakim Ziyech is expected to be cut from Chelsea’s Champions League roster on Thursday, according to Football Insider sources.
The winger missed out on a deadline-day transfer to Paris Saint-Germain and now risks being left off the 25-man roster for this month’s match against Borussia Dortmund.
Tuesday night, Chelsea paid a British record fee of £107 million to acquire Argentina’s Enzo Fernandez from Benfica.
He arrived at the eleventh hour on deadline day to join Joao Felix, the Ukrainian winger Mykhailo Mudryk, the French defender Benoit Badiashile, the Ivorian striker David Datro Fofana, the English winger Noni Madueke, and the teenage Brazilian Andrey Santos.
However, Uefa’s Champions League regulations only permit clubs to replace three senior players for the knockout round.
The departure of Jorginho to Arsenal means Chelsea currently has 23 senior players registered, but the addition of the three new names forces the exclusion of one player.
It is believed that Ziyech will be the most likely victim to add to his blow on the day of the deadline.
This season, he has made 15 appearances for the club, but he will struggle for playing time for the remainder of the campaign.
The Morocco international started in only nine of these contests.
He has not scored in these contests and has provided only one assist.
Chelsea’s next game will be against Fulham on Friday night (3 February).
They remain tenth in the Premier League, but a win would move them up to sixth.
Hakim Ziyech set for new Chelsea axe after deadline-day move collapses
