Arsenal discover why James Scanlon cannot play against Bayern Munich in the Champions League

According to a report by the Evening Standard on Monday, October 19, 2026, Arsenal youngster James Scanlon is ineligible to feature in the Champions League against Bayern Munich because he does not meet UEFA’s registration requirements for the competition.

The 20-year-old joined Arsenal on a free transfer from Manchester United during the summer, with the deal reportedly including a significant sell-on clause.

Scanlon has made an encouraging start to life in north London, impressing with his performances for Arsenal’s Under-21 side. The Gibraltar international has scored three goals in four Premier League 2 appearances after spending the second half of last season on loan at Swindon Town in League Two.

His recent performances have attracted attention within the first-team setup, with head coach Mikel Arteta inviting him to train with the senior squad on several occasions this season.

The winger was also among the academy players involved in Arsenal’s final training session before their Champions League meeting with Lille last week.

However, despite his involvement in first-team preparations, Scanlon has yet to make an appearance in Arteta’s matchday squad and cannot currently be selected for the Gunners’ European fixtures. Arsenal registered 22 players on their A List squad for the Champions League league phase, but Scanlon was not included.

Several academy players, including teenagers Maalik Hashi and Ceadach O’Neil, have been registered through the B List, which provides clubs with an opportunity to include eligible young players who do not feature on their main squad list.

UEFA’s regulations stipulate that a player must have been born on or after January 1, 2004, and have spent an uninterrupted period of two years at the club since turning 15, or three consecutive years with specific provisions for a loan spell, to qualify for the B List.

Although Scanlon meets the age requirement, his summer arrival means he has not spent the required period at Arsenal to qualify through that route. Consequently, he will remain unavailable for the club’s Champions League fixtures until he becomes eligible for registration.

Arsenal are scheduled to host Sabah in their final league-phase match in January, potentially providing Arteta with an opportunity to give younger players valuable European experience. However, Scanlon will not be able to take advantage of that opportunity under the current registration rules.

The winger’s next chance to become eligible for European football could come in February, when clubs are permitted to make changes to their A List squads ahead of the Champions League knockout stages.

Under those regulations, Arsenal can register a maximum of three new players for the remainder of the competition, potentially opening a route for Scanlon if Arteta decides to include him.