Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola faces a selection headache as he will need to omit one of the club's January signing from the Champions League knockout stages ahead of Thursday's deadline.

The UEFA Champions League's first-ever league phase came to a dramatic close on Wednesday, setting up for an equally entertaining knockout stage that begins in two weeks' time. The introduction of the new format means the Champions League will introduce a new phase of competition in February when 16 teams will take part in the knockout round playoffs.

Elsewhere among the eight ties, Celtic meet Bayern Munich and there is an all-French contest between minnows Brest and serial domestic champions Paris Saint-Germain. The first legs of the play-off matches will take place on February 11 and 12, with the returns a week later.

Manchester City officials will have a dilemma to contend with when it comes to registering new players for their UEFA Champions League knockout stage squad.Pep Guardiola’s squad booked themselves a