Chelsea leave Enzo Fernandez out for Port Vale and Man City games after remarks on future

Fernandez ruled out of two fixtures

Chelsea will be without Enzo Fernandez for their next two matches after head coach Liam Rosenior confirmed the midfielder will not feature in Saturday’s FA Cup quarter-final against Port Vale or next Sunday’s Premier League meeting with Manchester City.

Rosenior said the decision was linked to comments Fernandez made about his future during the international break, describing the situation as one in which “a line was crossed” in relation to standards the club wants to uphold.

While the club have not framed the move as a long-term exclusion, Rosenior characterised it as a sanction intended to protect internal culture, and he stressed that the midfielder remains part of the club’s plans beyond the immediate fixtures.

Rosenior: “A line was crossed in terms of our culture”

Speaking at a press conference on Friday, Rosenior indicated he was disappointed by the way the situation unfolded, even while expressing respect for Fernandez as a player and as a person.

“It’s disappointing to speak in that way,” Rosenior said. “What I will say about Enzo is that, in terms of him as a person, I’ve got no bad words to say.”

However, the head coach added: “But a line was crossed in terms of our culture. We had to make a sanction.”

Rosenior later underlined that the decision was not designed to permanently shut the door on the player. “The door is not closed on Enzo - that’s very important,” he said. “It’s a sanction. You have to protect this club and culture, and in terms of that, the line was crossed in the international break.”

What Fernandez said during the break

Fernandez has been regularly linked with a potential summer move to Real Madrid, and the midfielder added to the speculation while away with Argentina.

After Chelsea’s heavy Champions League last-16 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain, Fernandez told ESPN Argentina “I don’t know” when asked if he would still be at Chelsea next season. He added: “My focus is here now. Then the World Cup coming up, so we’ll see after that.”

During the international break, Fernandez also spoke to Marcos Giles, described as an Argentine media personality, and said: “I really like Madrid - it’s similar to Buenos Aires.” When asked whether he would consider living in Madrid, he replied: “Yes, of course.”

A joint decision, but no public verdict on his happiness

Rosenior said the club’s leadership were aligned on the response, describing it as a joint decision rather than a unilateral call.

“In terms of the decision, we are aligned in every decision that we make, so it was a joint decision,” he said.

Asked directly whether the 25-year-old is happy at Chelsea, Rosenior declined to speak on the player’s behalf. “I can’t speak for him,” he said.

What Rosenior did point to was Fernandez’s effort level when selected. “What I do know is that when he’s been on the pitch, even in the loss at Everton, there was no lack of commitment in his performance,” he said.

Rosenior added that questions about the player’s longer-term intentions were not for him to answer. “In terms of speaking for him and what he wants in his future, that’s not for me to speak about,” he said.

Transfer context: Real Madrid interest and Chelsea’s valuation

Fernandez is described as a Real Madrid summer target, with the Spanish club planning to sign a midfielder. The report notes that players such as Fernandez and Manchester City’s Rodri are among their targets.

At Chelsea, Fernandez remains under contract until 2032. The club would only consider an offer of more than £100m for one of their key players, and he is not regarded as untouchable.

Chelsea are also planning to sign a new midfielder this summer, adding another layer of context to the discussion around squad building and the club’s next steps.

It is also noted that it remains to be seen whether Real Madrid would ever spend more than £100m on Fernandez when cheaper options will be available.

Fernandez joined Chelsea from Benfica for a then-British record £106.8m three years ago.

Agent calls punishment “completely unfair”

Fernandez’s agent, Javier Pastore, criticised the decision in an interview, calling it “completely unfair” and arguing that the player did not explicitly express a desire to leave the club.

Pastore said: “Enzo didn’t understand the situation. When the coach told him, he accepted it because he’s a highly professional guy who’s always fully committed wherever he is and respects decisions.”

However, he added: “But we don’t understand the punishment because he doesn’t mention any club or say he wants to leave Chelsea, far from it. He only mentions Madrid, the city, because he was asked which European city he’d like to live in one day.”

Pastore expanded on why Fernandez mentioned Madrid, saying it was “because of the language, because it’s similar to Buenos Aires and because it’s logical - it’s only natural for an Argentine to say that - and also because of the culture and the weather.”

He maintained: “But at no point does he say he wants to leave Chelsea or London.”

Contract talks have stalled, agent says

Pastore also said discussions about a new contract began around December or January but did not lead to an agreement.

“There have been talks about renewing his contract, yes. We started discussing it around December or January, but we couldn’t reach an agreement,” he said.

With six years still to run on the deal, Pastore said the decision was taken not to renew on the proposed terms. “As Enzo’s contract still has six years to run, we decided not to renew it because the terms weren’t right for us or for the player,” he said, adding: “Given what Enzo is capable of today, he deserves much more than he’s currently earning.”

Pastore also said the plan is to revisit talks after the World Cup. “Our plan after the World Cup is to meet with Chelsea again and, if there is no agreement, to explore other options,” he said.

Cucurella comments handled differently

Fernandez was not the only Chelsea player to speak publicly during the international break. Marc Cucurella criticised the club’s policy of signing young players and also blamed Chelsea’s recent struggles on Enzo Maresca’s departure.

Rosenior confirmed he had spoken to Cucurella about the interview but said no disciplinary action would be taken. The defender remains available for selection and could even captain the side against Port Vale, with Rosenior naming him among the options to wear the armband.

While Rosenior said Cucurella should not have spoken publicly and should have raised concerns internally, he framed their conversation as constructive.

“[I had a] fantastic conversation with Marc yesterday. Half an hour in my office,” Rosenior said.

He explained that, since arriving, he has tried to encourage players to bring concerns directly to him and to the sporting directors. “I’ve said to them from day one, if they’ve got any issue with how we do things, to come and speak to me, and speak to the sporting directors,” he said.

Rosenior added: “My disappointment in Marc’s interview is where it went to. I think he should have spoken to us first about the things that he’s feeling. I want players to feel like they can speak openly and honestly for the benefit of the football club.”

Rosenior: building relationships takes time

Asked why Cucurella had not spoken to the club first, Rosenior pointed to the player’s personality and the relatively short period he has been in the role.

“Everybody knows Marc Cucurella, knows his character. He’s a great character, he’s passionate, he wants to do well. He did a long interview where he spoke with passion; he spoke his mind,” Rosenior said.

He also noted the demands of the schedule. “I’ve been here for two-and-a-half months, we’ve played 20 games, so to build those relationships and those connections takes time,” he said.

Rosenior said Cucurella had made his commitment clear. “But Marc is fully committed, he wants to be here, he’s made that very, very clear to me, and he actually believes in where we’re moving forward,” he said.

Squad planning: “emotional stability” and summer recruitment

Beyond the immediate disciplinary issue, Rosenior used the moment to discuss the club’s broader direction, including what he described as a need for “players with emotional stability.”

“Bringing players with emotional stability, bringing good characters in, who in difficult moments can understand what it takes to win in those difficult moments,” he said.

Rosenior added that there have been “great conversations” with ownership and sporting directors about summer plans, and that discussions have also involved certain players in the group.

“We’ve had great conversations with the ownership and support directors about what we do in the summer. And we’ve also had conversations with certain players in the group as well, who are really, really happy with the direction that we’re going to go in,” he said.

The club is expected to be busy in the transfer market. Signings are expected to include established players with proven Premier League experience. It is stated Chelsea will sign a centre-back and a midfielder, and that a goalkeeper signing cannot be ruled out, although that could be Mike Penders returning from his loan at sister club Strasbourg.

It is also noted that Strasbourg forward Emmanuel Emegha and Sporting Lisbon winger Geovany Quenda have already signed deals to join Chelsea in the summer.

Rosenior links recent comments to a difficult period

Rosenior described the past stretch as particularly challenging, suggesting the public comments from Fernandez and Cucurella came in the wake of a significant setback.

“It’s not ideal,” he said when asked how disruptive the remarks have been.

He continued: “I think a lot of this stems from that we had a really, really difficult 10 days. Probably the most difficult 10 days of my career as a player or a coach.”

Rosenior pointed back to the first game against PSG, saying the team’s belief was high before the tie unravelled quickly. “The belief in the group and what we were doing, the performance was top and it all fell apart in 15 minutes and there was a huge emotional dump from that game, which I think fell through to the next three games that we played,” he said.

He suggested the reaction reflected ambition as much as frustration. “Why was there such a big emotional dump? Because the players were so motivated and had so much belief that we could do something really special in the Champions League this year,” he said.

Rosenior added: “I feel like not just the comments from Enzo, but Cucu’s interview as well, stems from that. It actually stems from a good place where they want to do well; they want the club to succeed.”

Still, he argued the response to setbacks must improve. “But in those moments, I think we need more emotional stability as a group of players, from me as the head coach, as a football club, so that we don’t respond in the way we have done to the setbacks we’ve had,” he said.

What to watch next

• Fernandez will miss two matches: the FA Cup quarter-final against Port Vale and the Premier League game against Manchester City.

• Rosenior has framed the omission as a sanction tied to club culture, while insisting “the door is not closed” on the midfielder.

• Cucurella remains available despite criticism of recruitment policy and comments about Maresca’s departure, after a meeting with the head coach.

• Chelsea’s summer recruitment plans include adding a centre-back and a midfielder, with the possibility of goalkeeper movement, and an emphasis on experience and “emotional stability.”

For Chelsea, the immediate focus turns to cup progression and a league test against Manchester City, while the wider conversation around squad culture, contract negotiations and summer planning continues in the background.