Not good enough for Chelsea? Maresca addresses Fernandez concerns

Tom Weber

• Updated: 1 Nov 2024 16:11 GMT
• 4 min read

Enzo Maresca has explained why Enzo Fernandez is no longer a Chelsea starter.

The Argentine is formerly the Blues' record signing, having joined from Benfica for a whopping €121 million in January 2023. However, Fernandez's time at Chelsea so far has been a mixed bag, to say the least.

While there have been moments of promise, there is still a feeling that the midfielder has not really found his place at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea looked better without him last season and there have been persistent rumours of unhappiness and a potential exit, with the player supposedly frustrated at the club's lack of success.

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Most recently, there have been sensational reports of a potential swap deal with Real Madrid, but such a move seems highly unlikely, especially in light of recent events. Fernandez, who is going through a separation from his wife, has lost his place as a Premier League starter under Enzo Maresca.

Maresca explains Fernandez concerns

In the early stages of the season, Fernandez was a regular in the Premier League, even captaining the side. However, he lost his place against Liverpool and only made an 18-minute cameo during last weekend's clash with Newcastle.

There have been suggestions that Fernandez has been relegated to Chelsea's 'B team' because he has been starting games outside of the Premier League, but coach Maresca has sought to play down the idea that he even has an A and B squad.

Speaking to the media ahead of Sunday's clash with Man Utd, the Italian explained why Fernandez hasn't been starting and raised eyebrows by stating that some players are 'better than the rest.'

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"I show frustration with Enzo? I show frustration will all of them," Maresca said. "Don't only look at Enzo. I still trust Enzo. There is not any reason I can lose confidence in him. The reason he is not playing in the Premier League is because I take another decision but I have 100% confidence in him.

"I like to say that we don't have an A team or B team. There are players that are fantastic players, but for me, we don't have indispensable players. If Cole [Palmer] is not playing, we are playing Joao [Felix] and if Nico [Jackson] isn't playing, we are playing Christo [Nkunku]. The reason why we change players is because all of them are good.

"Some of them are better than the rest but it doesn't mean they are always the ones that are going to play. You are looking for some different reasons for Enzo, but it's simple: he is not playing at the moment but we have so many games in the future so it does not mean he is not going to play."