Is Donyell Malen eligible to play against Monaco? An explanation of the Champions League transfer rule.

Donyell Malen was included in the Aston Villa squad for the match against Arsenal over the weekend but did not feature on the pitch to make his debut.

Aston Villa will not be able to register new players ahead of the Champions League knockout rounds, meaning Donyell Malen will be ineligible to play in either of the club’s league phase matches against AS Monaco or Celtic. According to rule 32.01 of the official UEFA Champions League Regulations, clubs can register a maximum of three new players between the completion of the league phase and the start of the knockout phase, with registration required by February 6, 2025 (24:00 CET).

Villa are expected to progress to the knockout stage, but whether they will need to play a two-legged knockout play-off remains uncertain. If they finish in the top eight, they will qualify automatically for the round of 16 and avoid further matches in February. A victory against Monaco would put Villa in a strong position to secure their top-eight finish as they go into the match at Stade Louis II, currently in fifth place with 13 points from six matches, tied with third-place Arsenal and fourth-place Bayer Leverkusen.

However, Villa are only three points clear of 19th place, with many teams behind them, so they will need strong results in their final games to avoid the play-offs.

Malen was named in the Villa squad for their match against Arsenal on Saturday but did not make an appearance. He may make his debut this Saturday against West Ham in the Premier League.

Villa are set to complete the signing of Andres Garcia from Levante, who will become their second January arrival after Malen. As Diego Carlos nears a move to Fenerbahce, Villa are looking to replace him with Sevilla’s Loic Bade.

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