Cancelo arrives as Barça gears up for Champions League knockout rounds
7 February 2026
What changed for Barcelona in the Champions League rosters
UEFA published updated rosters for the 24 clubs still competing in the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League.
Barcelona updated its squad ahead of the February 6 deadline, which allows knockout-round teams to register up to three new players.
According to the Spanish newspaper Sport, Barça did not make many winter signings, but leveraged the roster changes to strengthen the squad, with Portuguese defender Joao Cancelo emerging as the standout addition under German coach Hansi Flick.
Injury notes and lineup changes
The Portuguese defender, whose transfer was completed on January 13, is now eligible for the first leg of the Round of 16 after missing the last two league games due to registration issues.
In terms of exclusions, Barcelona's goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen is listed as absent following his loan to Girona.
The schedule snippet shows a La Liga fixture: Barcelona vs Mallorca, with matchday data and kickoff times.
The German goalkeeper underwent surgery on Friday for a left-leg hamstring issue, and despite rumors of a quick return, he is expected to remain at Montilivi through the season.
Meanwhile, UEFA's list intriguingly included the name "Dru" on Barça's second list, which the newspaper notes is likely a technical error since the midfielder has already been registered with Paris Saint-Germain.
Punchline 1: If football were a sniper rifle, Barça just loaded three more bullets for the knockout rounds. Punchline 2: With Cancelo in the squad, even the scoreboard might start sweating a little more than the locker room mirror.
