'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
The second round fixtures of this season's Champions League promise to filled with a lot of action and drama with several high-profile clashes scheduled to be played out.While the teams are busy preparing for the fixtures, there a few key players for many teams who will not be participating in the Champions League this week. Across the slideshow, we list 5 such players who have been ruled out due to injuries.
#1 Aaron Ramsey
Welsh midfielder Ramsey picked up a hamstring injury during their North London derby against Tottenham over the weekend and medical scans reveal that he'll be out of action for at least a month, thereby ruling him out of the Champions League game against Galatasaray.
The 26-year was seen gesturing to the bench on the stroke of half time to be subbed when he pulled his hamstring.
Aaron Ramsey is a very crucial player for Arsenal, and was voted as Arsenal's Player of the Season last year. However, for the next 4 weeks, the Gunners must look to replace him for the time while the former Cardiff player continues to recuperate from his injury.
#2 Marco Reus
For sometime now Borussia Dortmund have been at the receiving end of some sort of bad luck as their big players either go onto leave the club or miss large portions of a season owing to injury.
Just when reports of the impending return of Ilkay Gundogan gave Jurgen Klopp's side a glimmer of hope, injury to probably their most crucial player, Marco Reus, came as a severe blow to the German outfit. The 25-year old fell victim to an ankle injury in the closing stages of Germany's Euro 2016 qualifier against Scotland.
3 weeks have passed with the German still on the road to recovery and he will require at least 1 week more to regain full fitness.
#3 Samir Nasri
The France international has undergone a successful groin operation and will be away from the picture for atleast a month. The 27-year had recently posted his picture from the hospital bed, on Twitter with the caption - "Thanks for the support! Surgery went well! Now time for recovery."
Nasri will not only miss City's Champions League fixture at home against Roma, but he'll also be sidelined for the Premier League games against Aston Villa, Tottenham and West Ham United.
#4 Ramires
The Brazilian international won't be travelling to Portugal with the squad as he is yet to reach 100% fitness. The Blues had also published on their official Twitter account saying "Chelsea midfielder Ramirez is dealing with an abductor muscle injury that's going to force him to miss the club's Capital One Cup fixture with Bolton and the Champions League fixture with Sporting CP".
The 27-year old has performed well in the league so far, scoring a goal and adding three assists while appearing in 4 of the 5 Premier League games.
After being held to a draw by Schalke in the opening game at home, Chelsea will be firmly eyeing all 3 points from Portugal when they go head-to-head against Sporting CP. However, they must do so without the services of Ramires.
#5 Zlatan Ibrahimovic
French champions Paris Saint Germain are all geared up for their first major challenge of the season, when they host Barcelona in Paris. But the absence of their most prolific player, Zlatan Ibrahimovic from the game, will have come as a severe blow to their underfire coach Laurent Blanc.
The Swede missed the last 2 Ligue 1 matches with a heel problem and all the hopes for returning on time to face his former club went up in smoke when a fitness test conducted on Monday adjudged him unfit for the clash.
PSG have been erratic so far this season and this fixture against the Catalans serves as a test of their capabilities of coping without their talismanic striker.
