Liam Rosenior has confirmed his Chelsea side will be without one key player when they face League One strugglers Port Vale in the FA Cup.
The Blues are strong favourites as they host Port Vale in the quarter-final of the FA Cup. Despite being fancied by more or less everyone to win, Chelsea will likely be wary of the threat that Vale, who shocked Sunderland in the last round, could pose.
One player who could have played a big role in the game is midfielder Enzo Fernández. However, Rosenior has confirmed that Enzowon’t be in the squad for the cup tie or their next league game against Manchester City.
Enzo To Miss Port Vale Game
Speaking in his pre-match press conference, the former Hull City boss confirmed Enzo will miss the game:
“As a football club, and with me as part of that process,we’ve made a decision: hewon’t be available fortomorrow’s game, and hewon’t be available for Manchester City next Sunday.”
The decision comes on the back of comments made by the Argentine midfielder during the recent international. Rosenior went on to add:
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“I think a line was crossed in terms of our culture and what we want to build.So we had to make a sanction and that was a decisionwe’ve made.
“In terms of the decision – andI’ve said this from day one –it’s not all about just me,it’s not all about the sporting directors, the ownership, or the players. We are aligned in every decision that we make. It was a joint decision.
“Saying that, the door is not closed on Enzo.That’s very important.It’s a sanction because at this football club, which is a winning football club withtraditions of success, you have to protect that culture. I think in terms of that, the line was crossed in the international break.”
How Much of a Miss Will Enzo Be for Chelsea?
The 25-year-old World Cup winner has been a pivotal part of the Chelsea set-up this season.He has featured in 30 Premier League games, receiving an averageSofascore rating of 7.12, thethird highest intheir team.
One thing Enzo has added to his game this season is goals. His current tally of eight is his highest in the Premier League since joining the club. Not only is he scoring goals, but he is a constant threatgoing forward, averaging two shots per game and 0.9 shots on target per game.
Enzo only has three assists so far, four off his best tally of seven last campaign, but has been a creative threat.He’s created 10 big chances and is averaging 1.7 key passes per game.
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Chelseaaren’t a side that lacks quality, so finding a replacement will be easy, but it will be big boots to fill for whoever steps in for him in the next two games.