FIFA restrictions on signing contracts with young players have limited Barcelona's ability to register new players until January 2016. After suffering a serious injury in a Champions League match against AS Roma, Rafinha will be out for the rest of the season. In his place, the Catalonian club wants to register Turkish midfielder Arda Turan, who was acquired in the summer. Barca has submitted this request to the Spanish Football Federation and FIFA. According to the Catalan media, if a player is sidelined for at least six months due to injury, the club can make an exception and register another player. However, this rule applies only in Spain. Even if FIFA allows Barca to officially include Arda Turan instead of the injured Rafinha, the Turkish player would only be able to compete in national competitions and the Spanish Cup. The situation is much more complicated in the Champions League tournament. Even if FIFA allows the registration of A. Turan, UEFA regulations do not foresee exceptions for changes to the squad once the season has begun. The only possible change would be to allow the registration of a new goalkeeper if the player in that position is unable to play for more than six months.
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