Chelsea head coach Liam Rosenior has confirmed that Enzo Fernandez has apologised for comments made during the international break that appeared to court Real Madrid, but warned that the midfielder still has 'a few hurdles' to overcome before being fully reintegrated.
Fernandez will miss Sunday's Premier League clash with Manchester City as he serves an internal two-match suspension. The World Cup winner was banned after the interview and missed last weekend's 7-0 FA Cup win over Port Vale.
Rosenior said he has held several conversations with Fernandez, who has apologised to both him and the club. 'I believe people make mistakes and you can't overstep the punishment for the mistake,' Rosenior said. 'He won't play on Sunday but hopefully after that he will be a massive part of the group moving forward.'
However, the Chelsea boss admitted there are still issues to resolve. 'There are still a few hurdles that need to be overcome that I won't go into,' he added. Rosenior dismissed suggestions that leaving out one of his best players damaged the integrity of the competition, citing his squad depth.
Sixth-placed Chelsea are aiming to revive their Champions League qualification hopes after taking only five points from their last six games. Defenders Reece James, Trevoh Chalobah and Levi Colwill are making progress in recovery but will not feature against City, while winger Jamie Gittens remains sidelined.
