It's probably the worst excuse going.
The Champions League is less competitive than the Premier league.
The idea that a player needs to be on the pitch when you roll Roma 6-0 for experience over a 1-1 draw with Everton is pretty funny.
Their are about 6 competitive teams in world football outside of the Premier league at the top top level. Who cares if you're playing Chelsea, City and ManU every week but don't get to play Bayern?