Chelsea Star Pulls Out of International Duty, Sparking Fresh Injury Fears at Stamford Bridge

Chelsea are anxiously monitoring Enzo Fernández's condition after the midfielder pulled out of Argentina's national team setup due to a fitness concern.

Fernández, who has been instrumental in Chelsea's campaign this term, joined up with the World Cup winners for international matches against Venezuela and Puerto Rico, participating in their narrow 1-0 triumph over Venezuela in the early hours of Saturday.

The 24-year-old featured for 78 minutes in the Venezuela clash, recording the highest number of touches and passes among all players on the field during an impressive midfield performance.

Nevertheless, this effort appears to have taken its toll as Argentina's official X platform announced Fernández's departure on Saturday. He exits the international camp with knee inflammation and joins Chelsea's growing injury list.

Chelsea's Fitness Concerns Deepen With Fresh Setback

The London club were already missing numerous players during their dramatic victory over Liverpool prior to the international window, including key figures like Levi Colwill, Wesley Fofana, Cole Palmer and Liam Delap. Josh Acheampong and Benoît Badiashile also picked up fitness issues during that match.

BBC Sport's Nizaar Kinsella reported that Fernández wasn't scheduled to feature in Argentina's second friendly against Puerto Rico, making his early return to west London a logical decision.

Despite this, Enzo Maresca will remain worried about Fernández's availability for Chelsea's upcoming fixtures, with a Premier League encounter at Nottingham Forest awaiting his team. The manager will be hoping the problem isn't severe, particularly after receiving discouraging injury updates recently.

Latest reports indicate that Chelsea star Palmer may not return from injury until November, with Fernández's possible absence further restricting Maresca's midfield choices.