What are rules on loan players in Champions League?

Published9 hours ago

Ethan Nwaneri could play against parent club Arsenal in this season's Champions League for Borussia Dortmund, where he is currently out on loan.

English winger Nwaneri, 19, is currently on a season-long loan with the Bundesliga outfit.

His loan and parent clubs face each other in this season's Champions League league phase on Tuesday, 24 November.

Unlike league rules in the English football pyramid, Uefa does allow players who are out on loan to play against their parent clubs when the two sides meet in European competitions.

That means Nwaneri could feature for Dortmund when they take on the Gunners.

Nwaneri is one of 12 players in this season's Champions League who is on loan between two clubs competing in the competition.

Of those 12, just three will initially be in the situation of potentially playing for their loan team against their parent club, though that number could grow in the later rounds of the competition.

And Nwaneri is the only one of those three whose match against their parent club is still yet to take place.

Dutch defender Lutsharel Geertruida featured for loan club PSV Eindhoven against parent side RB Leipzig earlier this month, while Lask's Robert Ljubicic played against parent club AEK Athens in the opening round of league-phase fixtures.

Liverpool defender Ronald Araujo is among the players on loan from another club in the Champions League. Should Liverpool and Barcelona meet in a later round in, it would pit Araujo's permanent and loan employers against each other.

It has been a long-standing rule in Uefa competitions that players on-loan players can face the side they have temporarily left and it has seen led to some high-profile reunions.

In 2004, Spanish striker Fernando Morientes scored in both legs of the Champions League quarter-finals for Monaco against parent club Real Madrid. Morientes would go on to win the competition's Golden Boot award that year.

In 2014, Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois helped Atletico Madrid beat parent club Chelsea in the semi-finals of the competition.

Chelsea claimed that they would be entitled to €3m compensation if Courtois played in the two-legged tie because of a loan clause, but Uefa said such clauses could not be put in place and Courtois was free to play.

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Every player in this season's Champions League on loan from another Champions League club

Ronald Araujo – On loan from Barcelona to Liverpool

Ronald Araujo – On loan from Barcelona to Liverpool

Diego Conde – On loan from Villarreal to Real Betis

Diego Conde – On loan from Villarreal to Real Betis

Yan Couto – On loan from Borussia Dortmund to Como

Yan Couto – On loan from Borussia Dortmund to Como

Willy Kambwala – On loan from Villarreal to Como

Willy Kambwala – On loan from Villarreal to Como

Ethan Nwaneri – On loan from Arsenal to Dortmund

Ethan Nwaneri – On loan from Arsenal to Dortmund

Leonardo Balerdi – On loan from Marseille to Roma

Leonardo Balerdi – On loan from Marseille to Roma

Lutsharel Geertruida - On loan from RB Leipzig to PSV Eindhoven

Lutsharel Geertruida - On loan from RB Leipzig to PSV Eindhoven

El Chadaille Bitshiabu - On loan from RB Leipzig to Galatasaray

El Chadaille Bitshiabu - On loan from RB Leipzig to Galatasaray

Marin Ljubicic - On loan from AEK Athens to Lask

Marin Ljubicic - On loan from AEK Athens to Lask

Younes Lachaab - On loan from Lille to Sabah

Younes Lachaab - On loan from Lille to Sabah

Christos Alexiou - On loan from Inter Milan to AEK Athens

Christos Alexiou - On loan from Inter Milan to AEK Athens

Sahmkou Camara - On loan from Slavia Prague to Slovan Bratislava

Sahmkou Camara - On loan from Slavia Prague to Slovan Bratislava

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