UCL Champions League final UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League

The Champions League Round of 16 games are just around the corner and teams like Real Madrid and Chelsea could be without some key players for one of the legs.

UEFA have just announced that clubs will have to comply with local rules on Covid vaccinations meaning both Real Madrid and Chelsea might be in some trouble.

Real Madrid take on PSG while Chelsea face Lille and as per France’s new guidelines, only people who have been vaccinated or those who have recently recovered from the virus will be allowed to enter large areas and it’s also been made clear that elite sportsmen will not be given any sort of exemption.

In the past few months, there have been several reports of footballers not wanting to take the jab so as things stand, Real Madrid and Chelsea will miss the unvaccinated players for the away legs.

“UEFA is liaising with the relevant stakeholders across Europe ahead of the resumption of UEFA’s club competitions in February,” a UEFA statement read.

“The specific conditions under which matches are played in each country are subject to the decisions of the competent authorities in that country.

“Each team will in principle be required to comply with the applicable rules in the country where the match takes place, but the specific competition Annexes — still under elaboration — which contain special rules due to COVID-19 applicable to the knockout phase, may provide further guidance in this regard.”

According to the last report, 16% of all Premier League players had still not taken the required number of jabs but due to security reasons, the names of the players have not been made public. Reports in Spain suggest that the number of unvaccinated players in the La Liga is higher.

We don’t know how many Chelsea or Real Madrid players are expected to miss the Round of 16 game but this could turn out to be a cause of concern for both sides when the Champions League Round of 16 kicks off.

Real Madrid play the first leg vs PSG in the Parc des Princes in February while Chelsea head to France to face Lille in the 2nd leg in March.

Read: 3-4-1-2 Chelsea’s predicted line up vs Spurs.

Read: Is this ex-Blues superstar set to make a comeback to the Premier League?