Manchester United recently announced their preliminary 25-man squad for the group stages of this year’s edition of the UEFA Champions League. While the statement in itself was just for routine, United fans were shocked to see Mason Greenwood’s name missing from the list.
Along with Phil Jones and Lee Grant, Mason Greenwood’s name was one of the most noticeable omissions in the Red Devils’ recent announcement. However, the prolific Englishman will still be eligible to play as a Manchester United player in the continental tournament.
According to a set of rules listed by UEFA, homegrown players under the age of 21 don’t necessarily need to be named in the 25-man list that a club has to submit. While the other players need to be on the said list to be eligible for a potential appearance, U-21 footballers with the same nationality as their clubs can be included on the B-list in order to be entitled.
More importantly, this B-list can be updated at any point in time, giving clubs an unlimited amount of leeway regarding their homegrown youngsters. Therefore, despite being excluded from the published shortlist, Manchester United will be well within their rights to field Mason Greenwood on a Champions League night.
The three-time European champions kick start their UCL campaign against BSC Young Boys on 14th September.
