Sidwell and Pizarro left out of Chelsea's European squad
Tuesday, 12 Feb 2008 23:12
Sidwell and Pizarro left out of Chelsea¿s Champions team
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Steve Sidwell and Claudio Pizarro have been dropped from
Chelsea's Champions League squad for the remainder of the competition.
Blues boss Avram Grant said he made the omissions to make room for other players, including Michael Ballack and new signing Nicolas Anelka.
"It's a hard decision to take two players out when they have been playing well, but we need to choose. I'm very disappointed that I cannot take all the team together," Grant told the Independent.
"The players that are not in the list are very good players and have done a very good job and I am sure they still will, but I needed to choose because of the rules."
The rules state that only 23 'A' squad players can be named in the Champions League squad despite the numbers being able to grow to 25 if 'locally-trained players' are retained.
Sidwell will see the move as casting further doubt over his future at the club after joining last summer on a free transfer from
Reading.
Other players ommitted from the squad include January signing Branislav Ivanovic and promising young winger Scott Sinclair.