Manchester United name 25-man Champions League squad with Mainoo and Yoro absent from A-list

Manchester United have submitted their 25-man Champions League A-list squad to UEFA, confirming the group of players registered for the league phase as the club prepares to return to European football for the first time in two seasons.

United open their campaign at Old Trafford against Sabah FK, with seven further opponents to follow in the league phase: Bayern Munich, Atlético Madrid, Roma, Sporting CP, RB Leipzig, Villarreal, and Como.

Kobbie Mainoo and Leny Yoro are among the high-profile names absent from the A-list, though neither is ineligible. Under UEFA regulations, players born on or after 1 January 2005 who have been eligible to represent the club for two consecutive years since turning 15 — or three years including a loan spell — are automatically placed on a B-list, which clubs submit separately ahead of each individual match. Both Mainoo and Yoro qualify under that provision.

The A-list, now locked in for the league phase, features four goalkeepers, eight defenders, six midfielders, and seven forwards. Notable inclusions are summer arrivals Patrick Dorgu, Carlos Baleba, Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans, Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo, and Benjamin Sesko, alongside established figures such as Bruno Fernandes, Lisandro Martínez, and Marcus Rashford.

Should United advance to the knockout rounds, they will be permitted to register a maximum of three additional players, with the deadline for those changes set at 4 February 2027.

Manchester United’s 25-man Champions League squad:

Goalkeepers: Karl Darlow, Tom Heaton, Senne Lammens, Dermot Mee

Defenders: Patrick Dorgu, Diogo Dalot, Matthijs de Ligt, Harry Maguire, Lisandro Martínez, Noussair Mazraoui, Luke Shaw, Ayden Heaven

Midfielders: Carlos Baleba, Bruno Fernandes, Mason Mount, Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans, Manuel Ugarte

Forwards: Amad, Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo, Marcus Rashford, Benjamin Sesko, Joshua Zirkzee, Tynan Thompson