Chelsea host League One side Port Vale in the FA Cup quarter-finals on Saturday evening following a tumultuous international break which saw Liam Rosenior's leadership questioned
Chelsea coach Liam Rosenior
Liam Rosenior has dropped three key players(Image: Chris Brunskill/Getty Images)
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Liam Rosenior has drawn a line in the sand by dropping Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo and Marc Cucurella for Chelsea's FA Cup tie against Port Vale. The Blues endured a tumultuous international break, with three of their key players giving eye-catching interviews.
Chelsea come into Saturday's FA Cup quarter-final on the back of four successive defeats which saw them knocked out of the Champions League by Paris Saint-Germain and drop to sixth in the Premier League. Pressure has been piled onto Rosenior, who arrived in January to replace Enzo Maresca.
The ex-Strasbourg head coach has seen his authority tested by provocative public comments by three star players. Chelsea captain Fernandez has flirted with Real Madrid, Cucurella said the club should've stuck by Maresca and Caicedo also hinted at a possible transfer.
Rosenior announced in his pre-match press conference that he had decided to drop Fernandez for two matches, saying 'a line was crossed' by his captain. And the Chelsea boss has now also dropped Cucurella and Caicedo for the Port Vale game.
The outspoken trio have been replaced by Tosin, Andrey Santos and Estevao for the match against the League One side. They are the only changes to the line-up, giving a clear idea of Rosenior's feelings.
Speaking about Fernandez suggesting he could leave Chelsea for Real in the summer, Rosenior told reporters on Friday: "It's disappointing for Enzo to speak that way.
"I have got no bad words to say about him but a line was crossed in terms of our culture and what we want to build. As a character, a person and a player, I have the utmost respect. He's frustrated because he wants us to be successful.
Enzo Fernandez has been dropped
Enzo Fernandez also won't play against Manchester City next Sunday(Image: PA)
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"In terms of the decision, it's not all about me, or the sporting directors. The ownership, the players, we are aligned in our decision. The door is not closed on Enzo. It's a sanction. You have to protect the culture, and in terms of that, a line was crossed."
The decision did not go down well with Fernandez's agent, Javier Pastore, who said: "The punishment is completely unfair - banning the player for two matches, which moreover are also absolutely crucial for Chelsea because qualification for the Champions League is at stake and he is one of the team's most important players.
"Alongside others, of course, but he has proven himself this year to be a leader and a key player, the backbone of this Chelsea side. I think it's far too harsh given Chelsea's current situation, and there's no real reason or justification for why he has been banned."
Fernandez's comments were followed by those from left-back Cucurella, who criticised the club's policy of signing young players. "The players were motivated that we could do something really special in the Champions League," Rosenior said.
"The comments from Enzo and Marc Cucurella's interview both stem from that. It actually stems from a good place where they want the club to succeed. But in those moments, we need more emotional stability as a group of players."
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