When Manchester United confirmed the exit of Jadon Sancho late on deadline day, there was a feeling of quiet satisfaction at Old Trafford. 

After an extensive summer saga, they managed to arrange exits for four of the five stars from their ‘Bomb Squad’: Marcus Rashford to Barcelona, Antony to Real Betis, Alejandro Garnacho to Chelsea, and Sancho to Aston Villa. Although Tyrell Malacia is still part of the team, he might transfer to a country where the transfer window hasn’t closed yet.

But no sooner had the window closed in the UK and the next ‘Bomb Squad’ was developing in regards to those exiled from clubs’ European squads.

Each squad has 17 slots for players who don’t qualify as homegrown, with a total of 25 players allowed. Of these, four must have been trained by clubs in the same league, and another four by the club itself.

As managers grappled with the tough choices they had to make, many stars likely woke up feeling deflated and frustrated by their exclusion.

With that in mind, Daily Mail Sport has examined some of the big names left out by the nine English teams competing in Europe this season and has put together an XI of footballers who have been sidelined from their squads.

Jadon Sancho was a member of Man United’s ‘Bomb Squad’ before he joined Aston Villa 

But as clubs registered their squads for European competition a new ‘Bomb Squad’ developed

Goalkeeper

Angus Gunn – Nottingham Forest

One less high-profile position involves those exiled: backup keeper Angus Gunn did not make the roster for Nottingham Forest less than a month after joining the club.

It should be highlighted that Forest has one ‘club-trained’ player in their squad, which limits them to 22 players, leading them to select just two goalkeepers, leaving Gunn as the third choice.

Defenders

Axel Disasi – Chelsea

Axel Disasi is a member of Chelsea’s ‘Bomb Squad’, and despite links with several clubs across Europe the Blues weren’t able to find a new home for a defender they signed for £38.5million just two years ago. 

Disasi has been training away from Enzo Maresca’s group over the summer and a disappointing loan spell at Aston Villa during the second half of last season failed to convince potential suitors, although the five-cap French international has been linked with a move to Saudi Arabia.   

Radu Dragusin – Tottenham

Radu Dragusin is still out with a knee injury he picked up last season, although he is expected to return in mid-October, by which point Tottenham will still have six League Phase fixtures left.

He is likely to be disappointed by Thomas Frank’s decision then, even though it makes good sense to protect him from the temptation to play in every game when he comes back to fitness.

Jair Cunha – Nottingham Forest

Jair Cunha is only 20-years-old and a potential star of the future, but his absence after Nottingham Forest paid £10m for the 6ft 6ins Brazilian this summer does raise eyebrows. 

Morato and Willy Boly have been preferred to support Murillo and Nikola Milenkovic at centre back, yet a few run-outs in among a hectic schedule would have been perfect for Cunha’s development, especially having had experience in the Copa Libertadores and Club World Cup.  

Oleksandr Zinchenko – Nottingham Forest 

Although the absence of Forest’s record signing Omari Hutchinson is the headline news, Oleksandr Zinchenko’s omission is more surprising from a football point of view.

Nuno Espirito Santo had bemoaned the lack of cover he had at full-back, while in a squad light on European experience you feel Zinchenko’s pedigree would have been crucial. 

Axel Disasi failed to get a move this summer and he is part of Chelsea’s ‘Bomb Squad’

Oleksandr Zinchenko’s absence from Nottingham Forest’s squad has raised some eyebrows

Midfielders

Ross Barkley – Aston Villa

Another strange chapter in Ross Barkley’s career sees him miss out on Aston Villa’s Europa League squad despite their group being light on midfield options and the 31-year-old offering experience and versatility.

Barkley’s summer has been disrupted by injury and he is yet to play a minute in 2025-26.  Unai Emery’s hopes of seeing ‘the best’ of the former England international this season already feels unlikely.

Facundo Buonanotte – Chelsea

‘It’s a great step in my career. I’ll get the opportunity to play in the Champions League for the first time, which will be a great challenge,’ Facundo Buonanotte said after joining Chelsea on a season-long loan from Brighton.

Fast forward a few days and Buonanotte would have faced the realisation that he was not part of Chelsea’s group, potentially causing some awkward interactions at the Blues’ Cobham training base. 

Ross Barkley wasn’t in Villa’s Europa League squad despite his experience and versatility

Facundo Buonanotte outlined his excitement to play in the Champions League, only to be left out of the Blues’ squad for the competition

Forwards

Omari Hutchinson – Nottingham Forest

Leaving out your club’s record signing is a bold move from any manager but perhaps it is symptomatic of the tensions behind the scenes between Nuno Espirito Santo and former Arsenal chief Edu who is now Forest’s head of global football.

Omari Hutchinson arrived for £37.5m to much fanfare but will now be left confused, although Nuno may point to the six forwards named in his squad – plus James McAtee and Morgan Gibbs-White – as to why his decision was the right one.

Federico Chiesa – Liverpool

Federico Chiesa became a fan favourite last season despite a limited impact on the pitch and he made a match-winning contribution in Liverpool’s opening day win over Bournemouth.

However, Chiesa’s hopes of building on that momentum have been hampered, although with Mohamed Salah, Florian Wirtz, Cody Gakpo, Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike available in Europe, he may not have got much gametime anyway. 

Federico Chiesa has been snubbed by Liverpool despite a positive start to the season

Mathys Tel’s absence from Tottenham’s Champions League squad was a headline call

Mathys Tel – Tottenham

Mathys Tel’s absence from Tottenham’s Champions League squad was one of the headline calls on Wednesday, just months after he joined the club from Bayern Munich for £30million.

The snub is a real blow for the Frenchman and it seems he will be the big loser from the deadline day addition of Randal Kolo Muani as competition to play on the left and down the middle of Spurs’ attack gets even fiercer.

Gabriel Jesus – Arsenal

Gabriel Jesus is another long-term absentee to miss out, although there have been indications he is working his way back to fitness after knee surgery earlier this year.

It feels sensible therefore to not rush his comeback, yet his absence may also be symptomatic of the Brazilian falling down the attacking pecking order after the summer arrivals of Viktor Gyokeres, Noni Madueke and Eberechi Eze.