Everton include Ross Barkley in Europa League squad

Everton playmaker and mooted Chelsea and Tottenham target Ross Barkley has been included in the Toffees' Europa League squad for the group stage, amid uncertainty over his future and concerns over his fitness.

Barkley, 23, is currently sidelined with a hamstring injury and is not expected to return to full fitness until December, when the group stage for Europe's secondary competition comes to a close.

The Wavertree-born attacker is also expected to depart his boyhood club in January, and came close to doing so on deadline day before pulling out of a £35m (€38.3m) move to Chelsea at the last minute.

It was suggested that Barkley underwent a medical with Chelsea before deciding against a switch to Stamford Bridge, but the vaunted England international moved to quash those claims in social media and will now assess his options in January.

If in the unlikely event that Barkley earns a Europa League run-out for Everton, who face Lyon, Atalanta and Apollon Limassol in the group stage, he would not be cup-tied for either Chelsea or Tottenham should they make it into the knockout rounds of the Champions League.

The UEFA website states: "Players may have played in qualifying for the UEFA Champions League or UEFA Europa League, but only one of them can have played in the UEFA Europa League group stage. Players cannot represent two clubs in the UEFA Champions League from the group stage onwards."

Away from Barkley, long-term injury victim Seamus Coleman has been included in Everton's Europa League squad by Ronald Koeman. The Ireland captain suffered a horrific leg break while on international duty in March and is expected to return to full fitness in three months.

Young defender Callum Connolly, who was loaned out to Championship outfit Ipswich Town, has also been included in the squad, while wantaway Kevin Mirallas has also been selected despite making no secret of his sadness regarding a failed loan move to Olympiakos.

New Everton signing Nikola Vlasic has also made the cut after impressing against his new side for Hajduk Split during the qualifying rounds of the competition.