Liam Rosenior has confirmed that Enzo Fernandez will rejoin the Chelsea squad next week after serving a club-imposed suspension. The Argentine midfielder missed the last two matches following comments about a potential move to Madrid.
Fernandez was banned internally after his remarks, which were compounded by his agent Javier Pastore criticising the decision. Despite Fernandez apologising, Rosenior chose to exclude him for the 3-0 defeat to Manchester City.
Speaking after the loss, Rosenior said: 'Any team will miss Enzo. Myself backed by the leadership group and sporting directors made a decision for the long-term of the club. There's nothing personal with Enzo. He will be back with the group on Tuesday.'
The Chelsea boss added that Fernandez had since held conversations with him, the leadership group, and the players to resolve the issue. 'The time I had the press conference, he hadn't done that yet. He has spoken with me, the leadership group and all of the players and we look forward to welcoming him back,' Rosenior said.
Rosenior acknowledged that Fernandez's absence may have affected the result against City, saying, 'Possibly, in hindsight... Enzo's a top player and honestly he's a top character.' Chelsea currently sit sixth in the Premier League and face Manchester United next weekend.
