Disciplinary Issues at Chelsea: Enzo Fernandez to Miss Matches Against Port Vale and Manchester City

Head coach of Chelsea Football Club, Liam Rosenior, who took charge of the London club at the beginning of this year, is facing significant disciplinary challenges among his players that extend beyond the locker room. Recently, he announced his decision to suspend midfielder Enzo Fernandez from participating in the FA Cup matches against Port Vale, as well as the clash with Manchester City in the English Premier League, scheduled for April 4 and April 12, respectively.

Liam Rosenior shared the details of this decision during a press conference, noting that he had a conversation with Enzo just an hour prior. 'As a football club, we made this decision. He will not be available for tomorrow's [FA Cup] match and will not play against Manchester City. We believe he has crossed a line. This is not an ideal situation. A lot has arisen during a very challenging ten days — probably the most difficult in my career,' the coach stated.

Rosenior emphasized that despite the disciplinary violations, he holds Enzo Fernandez in the highest regard both as a person and as a player. 'This was a joint decision. At the same time, the door is not closed for Enzo,' he noted, hinting at the possibility of the player's return to the main squad in the future.

The reason for the suspension stems from recent public comments made by Enzo Fernandez that sparked outrage within the club. The Argentine, who joined Chelsea in January 2023 for a record €121 million from Benfica, hinted at a potential departure from the club at the end of the season and did not rule out the possibility of moving to Real Madrid. 'I would like to live in Madrid. It’s a beautiful city, it reminds me of Buenos Aires,' Fernandez's words were quoted by journalist Fabrizio Romano.

In addition to the situation with Enzo Fernandez, Liam Rosenior also had a conversation with left-back Marc Cucurella. This occurred after the Spaniard publicly criticized Chelsea's transfer policy and the dismissal of former coach Enzo Maresca. 'Yesterday I had a productive conversation with Marc — 30 minutes in my office. My disappointment stemmed from where his comments went in the interview. He should have come and spoken to us first. That’s exactly why I spoke with him for half an hour — to remind him: you can come to me, you can talk to me,' the coach commented.

Liam Rosenior also assured that Cucurella will be available for participation in tomorrow's match. Currently, Chelsea sits in sixth place in the English Premier League standings, and the team is hoping for positive results in the upcoming matches despite internal issues.

Earlier in the news, it was reported that England reacted to Mykhailo Mudryk's new contract with the London club, which has also sparked considerable interest among fans and sports analysts.