Chelsea manager Liam Rosenior has confirmed that Enzo Fernandez will not feature in Sunday’s Premier League clash with Manchester City, despite the midfielder’s apology for recent comments to the media.
The Argentine international was omitted from Chelsea’s squad for last weekend’s FA Cup fourth-round tie against Port Vale and will again be absent for the high-profile league fixture at Stamford Bridge. The decision follows remarks Fernandez made during the recent international break regarding his future at the club.
Fernandez and his agent initially criticised the disciplinary action taken by Chelsea, but both have since issued apologies to the club. Rosenior, however, has maintained the sanction.
“I’ve had a really good conversation with Enzo—I’ve had three or four with him,” Rosenior said. “He’s apologised to me, to the club, and we’ll deal with that after a massive game on Sunday.”
The manager described the situation as “a serious meeting about something very serious to Enzo,” while emphasising his belief in the player’s character. “I said every single step along this way 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.”
Chelsea implemented the sanction following Fernandez’s public comments, which were deemed inappropriate by the club’s hierarchy. Rosenior explained that a decision was made and must be respected.
“We’ve made a sanction. We made a decision, I made a decision and what I want from Enzo is for him to go on from here and have an outstanding career,” he added.
While Fernandez will miss the City match, Rosenior expressed hope that the player will remain a key part of Chelsea’s squad moving forward. “No he won’t play on Sunday. But hopefully after that he’ll be a massive part of the group moving forward. There are still a few hurdles that need to be overcome that I won’t go into. But at the same time I want every player really, really focused on a huge run-in.”
The absence of Fernandez represents a significant setback for Chelsea as they prepare to face a Manchester City side chasing the Premier League title. His midfield presence has been influential this season, and his omission could impact the team’s tactical approach in what is expected to be a pivotal encounter in the league campaign.
