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Chelsea will not reverse their decision to suspend Enzo Fernández ahead of Sunday's crucial Premier League showdown with Manchester City, head coach Liam Rosenior has confirmed.
The Blues handed Fernández an internal ban last week after he publicly expressed a desire to relocate to Madrid and voiced his admiration for Real Madrid icons Toni Kroos and Luka Modrić, amid a backdrop of ongoing transfer rumors. Rosenior deemed it a line that had been "crossed."
Fernández's representative, Javier Pastore, initially branded the punishment "completely unfair" but later issued an apology after conceding the player was "wrong" in his remarks. Nevertheless, the possibility of a transfer remains open.
After missing last weekend's FA Cup rout of Port Vale, Fernández continues to serve his suspension. Chelsea comfortably handled a fixture against an EFL side without him, but keeping the 2022 World Cup winner sidelined against Manchester City signals a firm commitment to maintaining club discipline.
With Reece James sidelined through injury, Fernández would otherwise have worn the captain's armband for Chelsea.
"I, and we, want Enzo to go on and have a brilliant career. He won't feature on Sunday but hopefully he'll be part of the squad moving forward," Rosenior stated at his Friday press conference.
The coach revealed there have been several "really good conversations" between himself and Fernández, who has also offered apologies to both Rosenior and the club as a whole.
Fernández Reprieve Not Guaranteed
Despite completing the initial two-game internal ban and tendering an apology, there is no certainty at this point that Fernández will be restored to Chelsea's starting lineup following Sunday's match.
"We'll address that after a massive game on Sunday. It's a serious discussion about something serious. I'm not questioning his character or who he is as a person, but I believe people make mistakes and you can't exceed the punishment for the mistake.
"There are still a few hurdles we need to clear, but I won't go into detail on those."
If Fernández and Rosenior are unable to resolve their differences, it places everyone involved in a difficult situation.
Chelsea risk being left with a disgruntled asset who remains contracted but unavailable for selection. Rosenior must stand behind a decision to exclude a key senior player and trust that the club's executives and ownership support him, while Fernández faces the challenge of finding a new club with only uncertain prospects on the table.
Uncertainty Over Where Fernández Could Go
Paris Saint-Germain, the former club of agent Pastore, and Real Madrid are the most frequently mentioned destinations. However, it is far from straightforward. Whether either club would genuinely pursue a deal when it comes down to it remains highly uncertain at this stage.
It seems unlikely that Fernández's recent conduct would align well with the current PSG setup, a club that has deliberately steered clear of players whose egos demand special treatment and has enjoyed previously elusive success as a result of that cultural shift.
Real Madrid, despite their standing as the world's most prestigious club, cannot easily splash a significant fee on a single player this summer. Their budget has strict constraints, which partly explains why Florentino Pérez was among the last to cling to the now-defunct European Super League. Fernández is not a generational talent in the mold of Jude Bellingham or Kylian Mbappé—the latter was technically a 'free transfer' but his vast wages and bonuses make that label misleading.
The squad requires substantial reinforcement across multiple positions if Los Blancos are to reclaim the top of Spanish and European football in the near future. And while Manchester City's Rodri is older than Fernández, the Spaniard represents a more affordable and better-suited option.
Beyond Real Madrid, the club the Argentine has openly longed for, and PSG, alternatives he might view as an upgrade on Chelsea become extremely limited. A move elsewhere in England is unrealistic, Serie A clubs lack the financial firepower, and Barcelona continue to operate under severe economic restrictions.