Manchester United announce Champions League squad; Sergio Romero omitted
Manchester United have confirmed their squad for the 2020/21 UEFA Champions League season and Sergio Romero has not made the list. However, the Argentine is not the only big-name omission; countryman Marcos Rojo and English defender Phil Jones have not found a place in the squad either.
Last season, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer spearheaded Manchester United into the premier European club competition after a yearlong absence, but the Red Devils have been handed a tough draw in the group stages. Manchester United have to fight it out with Paris Saint-Germain, RB Leipzig, and Istanbul Basaksehir in what many see as the Group of Death in this year’s competition.
Manchester United have to be at the top of their game to reach the knockout stages and Solskjaer has already named all four of his summer signings in the squad. New United No. 7 Edinson Cavani will be licking his lips at the opportunity of facing his former club. Along with the Uruguayan, Brazilian full-back Alex Telles, Dutchman Donny van de Beek, and youngster Facundo Pellistri made the squad for the Champions League.
Grant considered over Romero by Manchester United
While List A contains all the big names, List B does have a few stars of their own, including Mason Greenwood and Brandon Williams. List B contains player of 21 years of age or younger, who have trained with the club for at least two years.
However, it is in the goalkeeping department that signs of budding controversy can be spotted. Romero, who has been the unfortunate victim of Dean Henderson’s return to Manchester United, has been completely overlooked, with David De Gea and Lee Grant joining the Englishman instead. The Argentinean probably missed out because Grant was eligible to be registered as a homegrown player.
Romero’s exclusion from the squad might be the final straw for the player, who now finds himself third behind De Gea and Henderson in the pecking order at Manchester United. It is a sad situation for Argentine, who will certainly feel he still has a few more years of first-team football in him.
The two other absentees, Jones and Rojo, will hardly raise any eyebrows. The latter’s request for termination of his contract was rejected this summer by Manchester United, even though there were reports about an interest in the player from Turkey.
Manchester United kick-start their UEFA Champion League campaign with a trip to Paris to face PSG on the 20th of this month. Their first European home game is 8 days later against RB Leipzig.
Manchester United Champions League Squad (List A)
Goalkeepers: David De Gea, Dean Henderson, Lee Grant
Defenders: Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelof, Eric Bailly, Axel Tuanzebe, Alex Telles, Luke Shaw, Tim Fosu-Mensah, Aaron Wan-Bissaka
Midfielders: Paul Pogba, Nemanja Matic, Bruno Fernandes, Donny van de Beek, Fred, Scott McTominay, Juan Mata, Daniel James, Jesse Lingard, Facundo Pellistri
Forwards: Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford, Odion Ighalo, Edinson Cavani