On-loan Arsenal striker Lukas Podolski has been left out of Inter Milan’s squad for the knockout stages of the Europa League.
The Germany international is a surprise omission from Roberto Mancini’s list after starting all five games since arriving on loan from the Gunners last month.
UEFA regulations state that one of three new players entitled to be registered for the knockout stages can have previously played in a UEFA club competition group stage match for another club in the current season.
But rather than Podolski, who would therefore have been eligible despite playing for the Gunners in the Champions League group stage, Mancini has selected Xherdan Shaqiri, who represented Bayern Munich in that competition.
Dani Osvado, on loan at Inter from Southampton, was also left out of the 23.
But Davide Santon, who joined the club from Newcastle on Monday, and George Puscas, who made his Serie A debut in last weekend’s 3-1 defeat to Sassuolo, do make the cut.
de Boer reveals failed bid for Chelsea’s Marco van
Ajax manager Frank de Boer has revealed to Voetbal International that Chelsea midfielder Marco van Ginkel turned down a move to the club in the winter transfer window.
Van Ginkel, 22, joined Milan on a season-long deal on September 1, but has so far made just five appearances for a total of 218 minutes, with injuries hampering his chance to establish a place in the line-up.
Even when fit, though, the Dutchman has failed to figure in Filippo Inzaghi’s plans, with Chelsea said to be far from pleased about the situation.
Football agent Gianluca Fiorini, who was involved in the deal which brought Van Ginkel to the San Siro, revealed to Sportmediaset.it last month that the Premier League club were on the verge of cancelling the agreement, ahead of sending him out elsewhere for the second half of the campaign.
“Chelsea are very annoyed because they wanted the player where he would get more room,” he said at the time. “They are considering other possible loans. The next few matches will be decisive.”
De Boer has since revealed that Ajax made an approach for Van Ginkel, but the former Vitesse product’s decision to snub a return to the Eredivisie saw them opt to splash €6 million on Heerenveen starlet Daley Sinkgraven instead.
“We asked Van Ginkel if he wanted to move, because Davy Klaassen and Thulani Serero were not fit,” he said.
“At first we were looking at him and after that we focussed on Sinkgraven for the future. Due to injuries we needed Sinkgraven right away. And besides that, Van Ginkel didn’t want to come.”
Signing for Chelsea from childhood club Vitesse in the summer of 2013 for around £8 million, Van Ginkel made just four appearances during his first season in England before tearing his anterior cruciate ligament in a September League Cup tie at Swindon Town.
The Netherlands international made his comeback with the Under-21s towards the end of the campaign, before impressing with the first-team in pre-season, but the club’s plethora of midfield options saw Jose Mourinho opt to ship him out before the summer transfer deadline.
