The Germany captain was not among the 23-man list submitted to UEFA on Friday, but Chelsea insisted the decision was taken purely because he would not be fit for most of the six group games, following ankle operations in April and July.

In a statement released on Thursday, Chelsea said: "There is no other reason for the decision and suggestions to the contrary are unfair on both Michael, who is attempting to get fit as soon as possible, and our medical team in whom we have every confidence."

Germany coach Joachim Low claimed on Wednesday that Ballack did not understand why he had been left out of the squad and said the midfielder was expecting to be back much sooner than the Chelsea medical staff were predicting.

Low is hoping to have Ballack back in the national team by mid-October. If he is ready to play by then he would also be available for all but the first two of Chelsea's six group matches in the Champions League.

Reports in the British media have suggested that Ballack has been left out of the squad to ensure he can still join another Champions League club in January. © 2007 Australian Broadcasting Corporation