A week can make quite a difference to a footballer’s Champions League prospects.
On 14 October, Aston Villa could not use Taylor Harwood-Bellis against Fenerbahçe. He wasn’t eligible for the competition. Seven days later, he was sitting on Villa’s bench against Viking, available if Unai Emery needed him.
Over in Italy, Como had made a similar change to their European squad. Maxence Caqueret was added to their List A registration and, unlike Harwood-Bellis, actually got onto the pitch. Cesc Fàbregas brought him on against Manchester United in the 65th minute.
Both clubs had taken advantage of the same UEFA regulation. One manager kept his new option in reserve. The other used his.
That small difference tells us quite a lot about what squad registration really means.
A defender Villa couldn’t use suddenly became available
Villa’s situation had been developing for more than a week.
Matteo Ruggeri had picked up an injury against Brentford, leaving Emery with one fewer defensive option. Before the Champions League meeting with Fenerbahçe on 14 October, the club confirmed that Ruggeri faced time on the sidelines. Harwood-Bellis was also unavailable for that European match, although for an entirely different reason: he wasn’t on the eligible List A squad.
The problem was eventually addressed through UEFA’s long-term injury replacement provision.
On 21 October, UEFA confirmed that Harwood-Bellis had replaced Ruggeri on Villa’s European list. Emery could now select a player who had been unavailable to him in the previous Champions League fixture.
And he did select him, at least for the bench.
Villa beat Viking 3–1 that evening. Ross Barkley opened the scoring with a header, Emiliano Buendía converted a penalty, and an own goal put Villa further ahead before Peter Christiansen replied for the visitors.
Harwood-Bellis never came on.
For a player newly added to a squad, that might look disappointing. Yet Villa already had defensive options on the field, including Tyrone Mings, Victor Lindelöf and Pau Torres. Emery wasn’t obliged to change his team simply because another defender had become eligible.
The registration had done its job before kick-off. Harwood-Bellis was available, and Emery could use him if the match required it.
Whether the manager will trust him with a more substantial Champions League role is a separate question. One evening on the bench doesn’t answer it.
Como made their change count immediately
Como’s evening took a different course.
The Italian club had registered Caqueret in place of Jesús Rodríguez Caraballo, completing its own UEFA List A change on 21 October.
By the time Caqueret stepped onto the pitch against Manchester United, Como were already enjoying an extraordinary night.
Nico Paz had struck inside three minutes. Anastasios Douvikas added another goal shortly after half-time, and Paz scored again to put Fàbregas’ side 3–0 ahead.
With that advantage established, Fàbregas replaced Martin Baturina with Caqueret in the 65th minute.
Como eventually won 4–1, with Jacobo Ramón adding their fourth before Joshua Zirkzee scored United’s consolation.
Caqueret’s appearance is significant for a straightforward reason. A player who had just been registered was already being used in European competition.
We should be equally clear about what he contributed to the result. Como had built their decisive lead before he entered. This wasn’t a substitute arriving to rescue a struggling midfield or turn a difficult match around.
Fàbregas had the luxury of introducing him while his team were comfortably ahead.
That still gave supporters something worth watching. Caqueret was no longer simply an eligible name on the squad list. He had entered the manager’s matchday plans.
The next question concerns the circumstances in which Fàbregas will turn to him again. Being introduced at 3–0 is one thing. Starting a closely contested away fixture, or coming on when Como need greater midfield control, would tell us considerably more about his responsibilities.
Why both clubs could change their squads
The opportunity came from UEFA’s long-term injury rules, specifically Article 31.14(c).
Champions League squads aren’t meant to be rewritten whenever a manager wants another player. The normal List A registration deadline for the 2026/27 league phase was 2 September.
UEFA does, however, recognise that losing an outfield player to a serious, prolonged injury or illness can leave a club short of options.
Under the provision, a club can temporarily replace a maximum of one outfield player during the league phase, up to and including Matchday 6, when the relevant medical absence meets the required 60-day threshold.
There are restrictions on who can come in. The replacement must have been registered with the club in accordance with the rules before the original List A deadline. Clubs also have to meet the applicable homegrown-player requirements and provide the necessary medical documentation.
If the original player recovers and returns to the European squad under the prescribed procedure, the replacement must be removed. The regulation doesn’t give clubs an extra permanent place.
That is why the Villa and Como changes are more interesting than a simple announcement of two new names.
The clubs had to work within a defined set of conditions. Once the replacements were approved, the managers could make their own football decisions.
Emery had another defender he could select. Fàbregas had another midfielder he could actually send onto the pitch.
UEFA determined their eligibility. It didn’t determine their playing time.
The next decision is more revealing than the paperwork
MATCHIQ has been following Como’s European progress since their 4–1 win over RB Leipzig in September.
Our earlier assessment found encouraging signs that Como could carry their football into the Champions League. Whether they could sustain it against different opponents remained open.
The victory over Manchester United adds another impressive result. Caqueret’s arrival on the European list gives Fàbregas another way to manage his midfield as the fixtures become more demanding.
Villa have gained something useful too. Emery can now include Harwood-Bellis in European squads rather than leave him out for registration reasons.
Both managers face more revealing tests in early November.
Villa visit Barcelona on 3 November. That is the sort of fixture where defensive selection carries particular weight. If Harwood-Bellis gets on the pitch, the timing and circumstances will help explain the role Emery has in mind for him.
Como travel to Lens the following day. Should Caqueret feature again, especially with the game still in the balance, his involvement would offer stronger evidence of how Fàbregas intends to use him.
For now, UEFA’s decision has already changed something important. Two players who previously could not represent their clubs in this stage of the competition became available.
One watched his teammates complete a victory from the bench. The other joined a team already on its way to one.
The rule gave both managers another choice. What they do with that choice is where the football story continues.