Real Madrid face being left with egg on their faces after it emerged that only one of their two winter signings, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and Lassana Diarra, can be fielded in the Champions League.
The club released a statement claiming that they have a "different interpretation" of UEFA regulations that state only one player who has already played in Europe this season can be registered.
Dutch striker Huntelaar played in the Champions League with Ajax while Diarra represented Portsmouth in the UEFA Cup prior to both players agreeing deals which will see them move to Madrid on January 1.
Madrid made the statement in response to an article in today's edition of Marca which claimed the club would be forced to choose which of the new signings to add to the Champions League squad.
Madrid's statement suggested the club will argue before UEFA that the rule should not apply to Diarra as he played in the UEFA Cup, not the Champions League.
"The club's lawyers were aware of the fact that one of the two aforementioned players couldn't be registered to play in the Champions League due to an interpretation of a UEFA regulation, but they nevertheless think there can be another interpretation of articles 17.17 and 17.18 of the said regulation as they believe it tries to avoid the compromising of the competition by a footballer participating with a new team when he had previously done so with another," the statement said.
"It seems obvious to them that there is no risk of this happening since the player participated in two different competitions. The club will therefore make its argument known to UEFA."
Madrid's statement also denied that the double signing represented a panic buy with injuries cutting into the squad as they have fallen 12 points behind Barcelona in the Primera Liga, leaving them in fifth place.
Diarra and Huntelaar will provide cover for Mahamadou Diarra and Ruud van Nistelrooy, both of whom are out for the season with knee injuries.
"The signings of Huntelaar and Lassana Diarra, as well as other signings that could follow, came about due to necessities of the club - derived from numerous and serious injuries suffered by key players - that had to be addressed, but they could in no way fail to be part of a mid- to long-term plan.
"This is proven by the sums of money that were invested in the signings and by the fact that the new players' contracts last for more than four years."
