Enzo Fernandez: Liam Rosenior reveals what Chelsea really think with captaincy statement

Robin Bairner

Updated: 4 Apr 2026 11:59 BST
5 min read

Enzo Fernandez, Liam Rosenior, Chelsea, 2025/26 — © IMAGO

Enzo Fernandez will watch Chelsea’s next two matches from the sidelines after comments made during the international break.

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The World Cup winner will not feature against Port Vale in the FA Cup on Saturday but Blues manager Liam Rosenior made a big statement over the player’s future when he also ruled him out of the forthcoming Premier League game with Manchester City.

It’s a move that shows Enzo that Chelsea mean business. The City clash promises to be one of the most important in the season for a Chelsea side chasing down Champions League football next season, and who are by no means assured of getting it.

Current ETV

Enzo Fernández

M, DM (C)

Chelsea

Enzo Fernández

M, DM (C)

Chelsea

ETV Range

€74.7M - €91.3M

What did Enzo Fernandez say?

Enzo openly flirted with a move to Real Madrid during the international break, claiming that he would like to move to the Spanish capital.

“I really like Madrid. It’s similar to Buenos Aires,” he admitted on a stream.

This comment came after the player admitted that he does not know if his long-term future is at Chelsea following the Champions League exit against PSG.

“I don’t know, there are eight games left and then the FA Cup," Fernandez said when asked if he would be at Stamford Bridge next season. "Then there's the World Cup, and then we’ll see."

Chelsea ban Enzo for two matches

Chelsea’s initial response might have been to freeze Enzo Fernandez out of the team for a couple of matches, but Rosenior made telling comments that indicated that he is certainly not out of the club’s long-term plans.

He explained that the 25-year-old will not be stripped of his vice captaincy.

“Enzo is still part of the leadership group,” he said. “We’ll see after the Man City game. For me, I won’t be stripping him of anything, because he doesn’t deserve that.”

Clearly, there is no plan to diminish Enzo’s role in the squad after this initial punishment.

Rosenior previously used a similar approach to keep Emmanuel Emegha, who will join Chelsea in the summer, in line at Strasbourg. The Dutch striker was never frozen out for an extended period. This punishment promises to be a similar one.

What does the player think?

Enzo Fernandez’s agent, Javier Pastore, has admitted that there have been talks over a new contract at Chelsea, though he did hint at some discontent on the part of the Argentina international.

“There have been talks about renewing his contract, yes. We started discussing it around December or January, but we couldn’t reach an agreement,” Pastore told The Athletic.

“As Enzo’s contract still has six years to run, we decided not to renew it because the terms weren’t right for us or for the player. Given what Enzo is capable of today, he deserves much more than he’s currently earning.

“We felt that rather than renewing on terms that wouldn’t make the player happy, it was better to leave things as they are and focus on playing and performing well… We don’t want to get into discussions about figures, contracts and negotiations when the timing wasn’t right.”

The verdict: Chelsea want to keep Enzo, but does he really want to stay?

Enzo Fernandez is clearly not settled at Chelsea, with his contract the key source of unhappiness. He wants a raise: and a big one at that.

For the moment, at least, Rosenior is content with the situation and wants the former Benfica man to commit his long-term future to the Stamford Bridge club.

If there are no doubts on the part of Chelsea, though, it’s clear the player does not feel the same way.

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