Liam Rosenior will also be without Enzo Fernandez for the top match against Manchester City. Despite good discussions and apologies, the Chelsea FC coach is sticking to his decision.
After Enzo Fernandez had repeatedly flirted with a departure from Chelsea FC, Liam Rosenior suspended the Argentine for the FA Cup quarter-final against Port Vale (7:0) and the subsequent league top match against Manchester City. At Friday’s press conference, the head coach once again made it clear that he would not be backing down from this decision despite the importance of the clash.
“I would like to live in Spain, I like Madrid very much; it reminds me of Buenos Aires,” were the words of the Argentine, who has repeatedly been linked with a move to Real Madrid. Rosenior now reported a “serious conversation about a very serious matter”. He had had “three or four really good conversations with Enzo”, who had since apologized to the Blues coach and the club.
In the meantime, Rosenior reiterated that he was “not questioning Enzo’s character or him as a person every single step of the way”. “I believe people make mistakes. But you can’t overdo the punishment for a mistake,“ the Englishman continued.
Although the 25-year-old will once again take on the role of spectator against Man City, Rosenior hopes that Fernandez will once again play a ”big role” within the team after Sunday’s important game. At the same time, however, there are “still a few hurdles that need to be overcome”. However, the coach did not want to explain exactly what he was referring to.
Rosenior refers to “certain values”
Chelsea are in sixth place in the table – one point behind fifth-placed Liverpool FC. Nevertheless, Rosenior did not want to be accused of shooting himself in the foot by leaving out Fernandez: “I have an excellent squad. Full of excellent players. It’s still very difficult to put together the starting eleven. I have to master that in the next few days.“
In addition, ”soccer is a team sport“, which is ”not about individuals”. Rather, there are “certain values and a culture that I believe in, that this club believes in, and that makes the team stronger if you get it right.”
The team should embody these values on Sunday – even without the most expensive player in the club’s history.
