Why is Joao Cancelo prohibited from playing for Barcelona vs. Slavia Praha in the Champions League?

This Wednesday, Barcelona will look to bounce back from an unexpected La Liga loss to Real Sociedad and secure a win against Slavia Praha that would help them improve their position in the UEFA Champions League standings. However, the Spanish club will have to overcome several challenges, including the absence of Joao Cancelo.

The Portuguese fullback arrived in Spain just a few days ago from Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal and has already had the chance to play in La Liga — the aforementioned defeat against Real Sociedad, where he came on for the final 28 minutes — as well as being named to the bench in the Copa del Rey victory over Racing Santander.

However, Cancelo is not yet eligible to play in the Champions League. The reason is a registration issue: UEFA competition rules state that participating clubs cannot modify their rosters at any time, but only during previously defined registration windows.

Barcelona have signed the Portuguese defender and secured his eligibility at the domestic level, but they are still unable to do so for UEFA competitions. That will only be possible after the end of the league phase, which concludes next week. As a result, Cancelo will miss not only today’s match against Slavia Praha, but also next Wednesday’s game against Copenhagen.

When can Cancelo make his Champions League debut with Barcelona?

UEFA regulations allow Champions League clubs to register up to three new players once the league phase has concluded. That process will begin on Wednesday, January 28, while the transfer window in most European leagues closes on February 2.

Once each club’s squads are finalized for the second half of the season, teams that remain in the Champions League will be able to make those three registrations. The deadline to do so is Thursday, February 5, at midnight.

This means Joao Cancelo will only be able to make his Champions League debut for Barcelona starting in the knockout stages, whether the Spanish club qualifies directly for the round of 16 or has to go through the playoffs first.

Barcelona’s probable lineup without Cancelo

With Joao Cancelo unavailable for European competition, Hansi Flick is expected to stick with the defensive structure he has used in most matches this season. Jules Kounde will play at right back, while Alejandro Balde will operate on the left. The center-back pairing will be Pau Cubarsi and Eric Garcia.

Barcelona’s probable lineup for Wednesday’s Champions League trip to face Slavia Praha is: Joan Garcia; Jules Kounde, Pau Cubarsi, Eric Garcia, Alejandro Balde; Pedri, Frenkie de Jong, Fermin Lopez; Roony Bardghji, Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha.