Enzo Fernandez completely committed to Chelsea, says Liam Rosenior
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Chelsea's Enzo Fernandez is currently under contract with the Blues until 2032, having signed from Portuguese side Benfica in January 2023.
PHOTO: REUTERS
LONDON – Enzo Fernandez remains committed to Chelsea despite his non-committal comments about his future at the English Premier League side, manager Liam Rosenior said ahead of a trip to Everton on March 21.
After the Blues were dumped out of the Champions League following an 8-2 aggregate defeat by Paris Saint-Germain in the last 16, Fernandez was asked by ESPN if he would be at the club next season.
In response, the Argentina international said: “I don’t know, there are eight games left and the FA Cup. There’s the World Cup and then we’ll see.”
The 25-year-old, signed for a reported fee of £106 million (S$182 million) from Portuguese side Benfica in January 2023, is under contract with Chelsea until 2032.
“I had a great conversation with Enzo at length this morning before training, not just about his comments but how he is feeling, how can we as a team improve,” Rosenior said on March 19.
“He is one of the captains at the club and what I will say is that he made it really clear how happy he is here at this club, how much he wants to win and how passionate he is for us to be successful.
“He also said that in translation and in emotions, things get misconstrued. For me, he is fully committed to this group and to winning here at this football club.”
Rosenior also provided an update on defender Trevoh Chalobah, who was carried off injured in the midweek defeat by PSG after appearing to twist his ankle nearly 180 degrees during a challenge on Achraf Hakimi.
“It wasn’t until later after the game that I saw the image (of the twisted ankle). Then everyone saw it and you’re really worried,” the manager said.
“It’s never good to hear that Trevoh is out for any period of time but fortunately, it’s nowhere near as serious as first feared. It’s not a serious injury but we’re looking at a period of six weeks, which is disappointing. But where we were a couple of days ago, we’re in a better place than what we thought.”
Chelsea, sixth in the Premier League standings with just one win in their last five league games, will be looking to right the ship and revive their quest for Champions League qualification when they take on eighth-placed Everton.
“We have eight huge games left in the Premier League and a cup competition we want to win. We are still in a place to affect things in a positive way,” Rosenior added.
In other news, Tottenham Hotspur interim manager Igor Tudor has been charged with misconduct for his remarks about the match official after their 2-1 league defeat by Fulham on March 1, the Football Association (FA) said on March 19.
“I didn’t like the referee today, too much of a home team referee,” Tudor told the BBC after that game. “All the decisions were on their side. He doesn’t understand football, the feeling of what is wrong and what is right.”
The FA stated that his remarks “imply bias and/or question integrity and/or are personally offensive in relation to a match official”, giving Tudor until March 23 to respond.
Tottenham, who are 16th in the league, host Nottingham Forest on March 22. REUTERS
