Chelsea will take its push for a Champions League place into Sunday’s home match against Manchester City without Enzo Fernandez, after the midfielder was left out of the squad following the international break. The 25-year-old World Cup winner has not been available since comments that raised fresh questions about his future at Stamford Bridge and his possible attraction to a move to Real Madrid.
Liam Rosenior said this week the club would not overturn Fernandez’s internal two-match suspension, insisting he had spoken several times with the player and that the midfielder had apologized to him and to the club. “I’ve had three or four really good conversations with Enzo,” Rosenior said. “He’s apologized to me, he’s apologized to the club. We’ll deal with that after a massive game on Sunday.”
Rosenior said the matter was handled in a serious meeting and stressed that the club was not treating Fernandez as a bad actor. “Every single step along this way, I’m not questioning Enzo’s character, him as a person. I believe people make mistakes. But you can’t overstep the punishment for a mistake,” he said. “What I want for Enzo is to go on from here to have an outstanding career.”
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The dispute traces back to the international break, when Fernandez hinted he would like to live in Spain, particularly Madrid, and then added to the uncertainty after Chelsea’s Champions League elimination by Paris Saint-Germain. He later apologized for the remarks, but the comments were enough to trigger the club’s internal response and keep him out of the squad as Chelsea heads into a game it badly needs to manage well.
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That leaves Chelsea to face Manchester City, described as a title contender, with three points the immediate target and little margin for error. Rosenior said he believes the squad is strong enough to cope without Fernandez, and the club is now trying to keep the focus on the pitch rather than on one player’s future. Chelsea’s Enzo Fernandez to miss Manchester City clash after ban can be read in full here.
