FOUR of Chelsea’s signings are banned from playing in the Champions League after record spending of £326m in January

CHELSEA boss Graham Potter has to tell FOUR of his new Blues they are NOT in his Champions League squad when the knockout stages begin this month.

Potter approved a stunning spending splurge in January, crowned by the UK record deal, to bring Argentinian ace Enzo Fernandez to Stamford Bridge.

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The South American follows Ukraine winger Mykhailo Mudryk, French defender Benoit Badiashile, Ivorian striker David Datro Fofana, England winger Noni Madueke and young Brazilian Andrey Santos in SW6 alongside Joao Felix, on loan from Atletico Madrid.

But UEFA’s Champions League regulations only allow clubs to change THREE of their senior list for the knockout stages.

And that means Potter faces the unenviable task of breaking the bad news to the unfortunate quartet.

Mudryk, Badiashile, Madueke, Fofana and Santos were all born after January 1, 2001, the cut-off date for the “B List” of players who can be registered to play.

However, having only just joined the club, none of them meet the secondary criteria of being registered for two seasons.

It is likely that Fernandez, Mudryk and Joao Felix will be the trio given the green light to be part of the squad for the round of 16 against Borussia Dortmund.

That means fingers crossed there are no more defensive injuries as Potter will have to stay alongside first-choice centre-back Thiago Silva at Trevoh Chalobah, Kalidou Koulibaly or Cesar Azpilicueta unless injury-plagued Wesley Fofana stick returns the fight back.

Prem rules – which will not apply in January anyway – allow for multiple squad changes for the second half of the season, meaning all new players would be eligible to play in the league – although Chelsea are reportedly still awaiting a work permit for Santos.

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There was a big exit at Stamford Bridge in the January transfer window.

Italy midfielder Jorginho has joined league leaders Arsenal.

The contract of the 2020 European Championship winner expired in the summer.