Enzo Fernandez Apologizes but Remains Out for Chelsea's Clash with Manchester City
Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez will not participate in the upcoming home match against Manchester City despite issuing an apology for his recent comments about Madrid, according to head coach Liam Rosenior. Fernandez received a two-match internal ban from the club after expressing admiration for the city of Madrid during an interview conducted during the international break. This incident has intensified speculation linking him with a move to Real Madrid. His agent, Javier Pastore, mentioned that they had "cleared the air" with Chelsea after Fernandez missed last Saturday's 7-0 FA Cup victory against Port Vale. They had hoped the ban would be reduced to one match; however, Rosenior confirmed that the original punishment would stand. Rosenior stated, "I had three or four conversations with Enzo. He's apologised to me, he's apologised to the club, and we'll deal with that after a massive game on Sunday. It was a serious meeting about something very serious." Chelsea currently sits sixth in the Premier League, just one point behind Liverpool, who hold the fifth spot for Champions League qualification. Despite the setback, Rosenior is optimistic about Fernandez's future contributions: "He won't play on Sunday, but hopefully after that he'll be a massive part of the group moving forward." Additionally, Reece James, Trevoh Chalobah, and Levi Colwill will also be unavailable for the match at Stamford Bridge.
Source: BBC Sport - 2026-04-10