Liam Rosenior, Chelsea’s head coach, has said that vice-captain Enzo Fernandez has apologised in person for the comments that got him in trouble. However, the Argentine will still serve the rest of his two-match internal suspension. The 25-year-old said in an interview after Chelsea lost to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League that he wasn’t sure about his future with the team. Then, during the international break, he told a podcast that he would like to live in Madrid.
The World Cup winner joined the Blues for a then-British record £107 million fee in 2023. He missed the 7-0 FA Cup quarter-final win over Port Vale while serving the first game of his ban, and Rosenior has now confirmed that he will also miss Sunday’s huge Premier League match against Manchester City at Stamford Bridge. Rosenior told reporters on Friday:
“I’ve had a really good conversation, I’ve had three or four with Enzo. He’s apologised to me, to the club, and we’ll deal with that after a massive game on Sunday.
“I’m not questioning Enzo’s character, I’m not questioning who he is as a person. I believe people make mistakes and you can’t overstep the punishment for the mistake.”
The Chelsea manager wanted to make it clear that keeping the dressing room culture strong is still his top priority during this important time in the campaign:
“There are certain values and cultures that I believe in, that this club believe in that makes the team stronger if you get that right.”
He also said that leaving out the midfielder would not make his team weaker against Pep Guardiola’s men.
Rosenior Facing Selection Dilemma Amid Growing Chelsea Injury List
Rosenior is also dealing with a worrying treatment room situation as the weekend approaches, on top of the Fernandez saga. Fernandez is one of many players who won’t be available, including Filip Jorgensen, Levi Colwill, Reece James, Trevoh Chalobah, and Jamie Gittens. This leaves the west London team very short-handed for the visit of the second-placed Cityzens.
The Blues are currently sixth in the Premier League table and need a good result to get back into the top five. They have only got 24 points from their last 18 games. Rosenior’s men need to get off to a fast start in their last seven games if they want to qualify for the Champions League next season.