Abde Ezzalzouli Left Out of Real Betis Champions League Squad

Abde Ezzalzouli’s return to the European spotlight will have to wait.

On the eve of Real Betis’s long-awaited UEFA Champions League campaign, Manuel Pellegrini has left the Morocco international out of his squad for Tuesday night’s clash with Lille, a decision that lands as a sharp setback for the winger.

Pellegrini announced his list on Sunday, confirming the group that will travel into the first round of the new league phase. Ezzalzouli’s name was missing. In his place, the Chilean coach has leaned on the established core: Isco, Giovani Lo Celso, Antony and Dani Ceballos all feature among the attacking options.

For Ezzalzouli, the timing could hardly be worse.

He had already sat out Betis’s most recent La Liga fixture, a high-profile meeting with Real Madrid, after being struck down by a viral infection. That absence came just as he seemed to be turning a corner physically, having only just shaken off earlier fitness problems.

The winger had managed to get back on the pitch in the previous round against Levante, logging a few minutes that were supposed to mark the start of his real push for a bigger role. Instead, the illness flared up and stopped his momentum cold, costing him his place in the squad again as Betis step onto the European stage.

For now, Ezzalzouli watches from the outside while Betis dive into the intensity of Champions League football. His target is clear: recover fully, rebuild rhythm, and convince Pellegrini he belongs back in the matchday plans as the fixtures pile up and the stakes rise.