On the same day the Champions League group stage begins, Argentine midfielder Facundo Buonanotte has been added to Chelsea’s list of eligible players for the tournament.
Buonanotte, who joined the London club on a season-long loan in September, was initially not part of the main “List A” squad submitted by Chelsea. However, UEFA rules allow teams to replace players in case of injuries, and Buonanotte has now been included following the absence of Dario Essugo. The Portuguese midfielder underwent surgery last week for a muscular problem and will be sidelined for several weeks.
The 20-year-old, who began his career at Rosario Central before moving to Brighton and spending time at Leicester, becomes the third Argentine available for Chelsea in this year’s competition. He joins Enzo Fernández, a key figure in the team, and Alejandro Garnacho, who also arrived during the recent transfer window.
Since his arrival, Buonanotte has featured once for Chelsea, playing 45 minutes in the 2-2 Premier League draw against Brentford last weekend. Enzo Maresca’s side will open their Champions League campaign on Wednesday against Bayern Munich.
There’s no denying the talent of Franco Mastantuono, but I believe Nico Paz and Matías Soulé are currently superior players. I would even argue that Valentín Carboni is better than him at the moment. However, I have no doubt that Mastantuono will improve and eventually succeed with both Real Madrid and the Argentine national team. For now, though, I don’t think he deserves a place on the national team.