Enzo Fernandez Dropped By Chelsea After ‘Line Crossed’, To Miss FA Cup And Man City Clash

London — Chelsea have left midfielder Enzo Fernandez out of the squad for their next two fixtures after head coach Liam Rosenior ruled the Argentine’s recent public comments “crossed a line” in relation to the club’s culture.

Fernandez, 23, will sit out Sunday’s FA Cup quarter-final against League Two side Port Vale at Stamford Bridge and the Premier League visit of Manchester City on 12 April, decisions confirmed by the club on Thursday evening.

The sanction follows remarks made after Chelsea’s 8-2 aggregate defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Champions League round of 16. Asked about his long-term future, Fernandez told reporters: “I don’t know. There are eight matches left and the FA Cup. There’s also the World Cup; after that, we’ll see. I think it would be nice to live in Madrid.”

Rosenior, appointed last summer, said the statement undermined squad unity at a critical stage of the season.

“It’s disappointing for Enzo to speak that way,” the head coach said. “I have got no bad words to say about him, but a line was crossed in terms of our culture and what we want to build. As a character, a person and a player, I have the utmost respect. He’s frustrated because he wants us to be successful.”

The manager stressed that the suspension was a collective decision. “In terms of the decision, it’s not all about me, or the sporting directors. The ownership, the players, we are aligned in our decision. The door is not closed on Enzo. It's a sanction. You have to protect the culture, and in terms of that, a line was crossed.”

Unconfirmed reports suggest Fernandez also clashed with teammates during a bruising ten-day stretch that included three defeats and intensified scrutiny on Rosenior’s squad. “A lot of this stems from a difficult 10 days in terms of results we have had – probably the most difficult for me as a player or manager,” Rosenior added.

Fernandez’s absence leaves a void in Chelsea’s engine room ahead of a pivotal week. The Blues, chasing a first FA Cup semi-final berth since 2022, host Port Vale on 4 April at 9:45 PM IST before welcoming reigning champions Manchester City to west London eight days later.

Left-back Marc Cucurella also drew Rosenior’s ire after questioning the club’s transfer strategy, telling reporters that “signing young players might only complicate achieving” major honours. The pair held a 30-minute clear-the-air meeting on Wednesday, after which Rosenior stated Cucurella remains “fully committed” to the project.

“The comments from Enzo and Marc Cucurella’s interview both stem from a good place where they want the club to succeed,” Rosenior said. “But in those moments, we need more emotional stability as a group of players.”

Chelsea have not indicated how long Fernandez will remain separated from the first-team environment, leaving his availability for the season’s final six league matches uncertain.