With February creeping up on us, the UEFA Europa League Round of 16 is about to be lit. The participating teams are facing a major personnel change of up to 3 players. It was at this crucial moment that Chelsea signed eight new players in the winter transfer window. After much deliberation, leader Park Darling decided to include Ansou Fernandes, Medillieu and Zoufelix in the first-team squad, while veteran Aubameyang was ruthlessly dropped. The 33-year-old shot-stopper then embarked on a vacation trip to Milan and seems to have retired from his Chelsea career.
Aubameyang's transfer from Barcelona to Chelsea at the beginning of the state has been no improvement. In all competitions, he only scored 3 goals in 17 appearances, and has long been the target of the team's purge. Now, he has been excluded from the UEFA list, and it seems that it is only a matter of time before he leaves the team.
Each team in the Eredivisie is capped at 25 player registrations, and Chelsea had originally registered only 24. The departure of Zojinu has allowed the team to deregister Aubameyang, which just so happens to have left 3 valuable slots open for newcomers to showcase their talents.
There seems to be no excuse for the inclusion of two high-priced imports, Ansel Fernandez and Medilli, in the UEFA list. However, the surprise inclusion of Zouaves Alexis, who was loaned from Atletico Madrid, raises some questions. The Portuguese international was suspended for three games for a red card on his debut for Chelsea, and it is still an unknown challenge whether he will be able to quickly integrate into the team's style of play.
What's even more confusing is that Parkdale didn't go with new centerpiece Benoit Badiachouni. The 21-year-old French international has started the last three matches, helping his side keep a clean sheet in a solid performance.
Chelsea's defense is a concern given the fact that the other centerpiece, Tia Goschwald, is 38 years old, Golibani's form is inconsistent, and Banlote Batiatshuni is out of the UEFA Europa League.
Chelsea will face Borussia Dortmund away in the first leg of the UEFA Europa League round of 16 in the early hours of February 16, while the second leg will be played at home in the early hours of March 8th.
