Michael Ballack's name was noticeably absent from Chelsea's squad list for the UEFA Champions League group stage.
German left off European squad list
Michael Ballack's name was noticeably absent from Chelsea's squad list for the UEFA Champions League group stages.
Last Friday was the date for the submission of the list and Chelsea's medical staff could not guarantee Ballack would recover in time, from ankle surgery, to play any part in the Group B matches.
The group stages conclude on 11th December, with Chelsea to play Valencia, Schalke and Rosenborg home and away.
Chelsea have confirmed that they are hopeful Ballack will be available for the latter stages of the competition.
October return?
"Naturally, we hope Michael's recovery is as quick as possible, that he returns to full training ahead of schedule and that he will then be available for the latter stages of the competition, should we qualify," read a statement from Chelsea.
The 31-year-old has not played since April and will now definately not feature in Europe until February at the earliest.
He has, though, according to reports, been pencilled in for a domestic return at the end of October.
