Liam Rosenior in a ‘good place’ with Enzo Fernandez despite Chelsea star’s ban

LONDON – Chelsea manager Liam Rosenior insisted his relationship with Enzo Fernandez is in a “good place” despite the controversial decision to ban the Argentinian for two matches.

The Blues boss opted to drop the midfielder for their 7-0 win over Port Vale in the FA Cup quarter-finals on April 4, after the 25-year-old hinted that he would be willing to leave Stamford Bridge at the end of the season.

Fernandez’s agent slammed the suspension as “completely unfair”, as the player was forced to watch Chelsea’s rout from the stands.

He will be axed again when the Blues, who are chasing a Champions League spot, face Manchester City in a crucial English Premier League clash on April 12.

Having appeared to court Real Madrid, Fernandez left Rosenior determined to stamp his authority on the squad during a four-game losing streak, which included elimination from the Champions League by Paris Saint-Germain.

But the manager said his issues with the Argentinian will not fester once the ban is over.

“That’s his opinion,” said Rosenior of the agent’s remarks.

“I don’t have anything to say on someone else’s opinion. Enzo knows what I think of him and it was brilliant to see him here to support the players today.

“In the right time, in the right moment, which isn’t now, going through what we’ve gone through, I’m sure the discussion will happen in terms of what’s been said between me and Enzo.

“Enzo and I are in a very good place. I saw him today, had a really good conversation with him today, one-to-one. Things aren’t what people maybe think they are.”

Jorrel Hato and Joao Pedro scored for Chelsea in the first half against Port Vale, who are bottom of the third tier, before Jordan Lawrence-Gabriel’s own goal increased their lead by the interval.

Tosin Adarabioyo, Andrey Santos, Estevao Willian and Alejandro Garnacho netted after the break to complete the demolition.

In the absence of Fernandez and Reece James, Cole Palmer was given the captain’s armband for the first time, a role which Rosenior believes he is ready to take on.

The England forward is another player who has been linked with a move away from Stamford Bridge, after reports in January claimed he was eager to return home to Manchester.

“I think it’s a natural step for Cole, where he is in his career,” Rosenior said.

“He shows leadership. You have different types of leadership. You have players who talk, who organise.

“What Cole does and where he leads is he’s so brave and he’ll take the ball on the pitch. And if he makes a mistake, he’ll take the ball and be positive again.

“That reflects what I want in this team. I felt Cole led the team magnificently in the game today.”

Meanwhile, Port Vale manager Jon Brady said the final score at Stamford Bridge felt like a “gut punch”.

He said: “We put ourselves under extreme pressure conceding in the first minute. Three set pieces, we didn’t defend well enough. Very frustrating. It shows in the end. To keep it at four or five would have been respectable, but to concede the last two was a bit of a gut punch.

“I’m proud of the players overall. It shows how ruthless the players are at this level... It’s a fantastic achievement, what we did, the best FA Cup since 1954. We beat a Premier League team (Sunderland) and a Championship team (Bristol City) in one week.” AFP