Chelsea stopped the bleeding by thrashing third tier minnows Port Vale last weekend, but reality returns this Sunday when they host Manchester City in the Premier League.
The Blues had lost four on the spin prior to their 7–0 FA Cup demolition, two of those defeats coming to nil against Newcastle United and Everton to dent their hopes of qualifying for next term’s Champions League.
An almighty performance is required to conquer Pep Guardiola’s resurgent Cityzens, who have returned to their swashbuckling best in recent victories over Arsenal and Liverpool. However, Chelsea will be without one of their key performers for the assignment.
Enzo Fernández, the provider of Chelsea’s last-gasp equalizer in the reverse fixture is missing for Sunday’s battle at Stamford Bridge, with the Argentine likely to be sorely missed.
Why Is Fernández Not Playing Against Man City?
Chelsea will take to the field without Fernández on Sunday afternoon having internally punished the midfielder for comments made regarding Real Madrid transfer links during the international break. Having been suspended for two matches by his employers, he will only return to action next weekend against Manchester United.
Liam Rosenior insisted that Fernández’s comments about being eager to live in Madrid amid transfer rumors had “crossed the line,” revealing the player’s suspension ahead of last weekend’s victory in the FA Cup quarterfinal.
Fernández’s absence was not felt during the seven-goal win, but will prove more noticeable against high-flying Premier League title hopefuls—Guardiola’s men highly motivated after Arsenal’s defeat to Bournemouth on Saturday.
Prior to the City game, Rosenior revealed that Fernández had apologized over his comments, but that the 25-year-old would still miss City’s visit.
“I had three or four [conversations] with Enzo,” Rosenior told assembled media on Friday. “He’s apologized to me, he’s apologized to the club, and we’ll deal with that after a massive game on Sunday.
“It was a serious meeting about something very serious. I’m not questioning Enzo’s character or who he is as a person. We’ve made a sanction, we made a decision—I made a decision—and what I want for Enzo is for him to come here and have an outstanding career.”
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Why Enzo Fernandez Isn’t Playing for Chelsea vs. Man City.
