Chelsea have confirmed that three players have been added to their Conference League squad, as well as two notable players being left out.
The Premier League giants cruised through to the last 16 of the competition, finishing at the top of the League Phase standings with maximum points.
However, Enzo Maresca's side have already been presented with a testing tie against one of Gent, Real Betis, Copenhagen or Heidenheim in early March.
Despite another month passing by before the first leg of that double-header, UEFA regulations mean that Chelsea are already required to make the necessary amendments to their squad.
Only three alterations are allowed to be made, either in or out, and five winter departures means that Maresca has been left to select a 23-player squad.
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Who has been included?
As expected, Cole Palmer is included in the trio that have been added to the squad having sat out the League Phase on the back of a busy summer with England.
Trevoh Chalobah has also been named in the group after being recalled from his loan spell with Crystal Palace.
The third player to be added to the list is new arrival Mathis Amougou, who has been signed from French club Saint-Etienne.
while Palmer and Chalobah have essentially replaced Axel Disasi and Joao Felix, Amougou is a direct alternative to Cesare Casadei.
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Injury-hit duo remain sidelined
Wesley Fofana and Romeo Lavia will play no part in this year's Conference League as they continue to deal with fitness issues.
Despite Maresca taking the approach of only using the pair once a week after last season's injury woes, they are each spending significant period on the sidelines.
Fofana has been absent since suffering a hamstring injury on December 1, it remaining unclear whether he will play again this campaign.
Meanwhile, Lavia has played just twice since December 8, a consequence of muscle injuries. He is not expected to return until March at the earliest.
Darren Plant
