THIS is the squad of Milan for the knockout stage of the Champions League: Saponara is out, Taarabt and Essien in.

The January transfer market is over and the Champions League football returns for the boys of Clarence Seedorf on February 19th as they take on the leaders of La Liga Atletico Madrid, in the round of sixteen in hope to get to the next stage.

Milan were allowed to make three changes in the initial squad and Seedorf has decided to take out Matias Silvestre, and Antonio Nocerino & Alessandro Matri who left and included Adil Rami, Michael Essien, Adel Taarabt. In addition, Stephan El Shaarawy has been moved to the B list. Gabriel, Silvestre, Riccardo Saponara and Keisuke Honda (cup-tied) are out.

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Goalkeepers Defenders Midfielders Forwards Christian Abbiati Ignazio Abate Valter Birsa Mario Balotelli Marco Amelia Daniele Bonera Kevin Constant Robinho Ferdinando Coppola Mattia De Sciglio Bryan Cristante Ricardo Kaka Lorenzo Ferrari* Philippe Mexes Nigel De Jong Giampaolo Pazzini Adil Rami Urby Emanuelson Adel Taarabt** Cristian Zaccardo Michael Essien Stephan El Shaarawy* Cristian Zapata Riccardo Montolivo Andrea Petagna* Zan Benedicic* Sulley Muntari Luca Iotti* Andrea Poli Marco Pinato* Andrej Modic* Alex Pedone*

* Players who are in the B list.

* Taarabt will wear #27 in Europe because he can’t wear his Serie A number #23, since Nocerino used it in the UCL this year.