Chelsea Manager Confirms Enzo Fernandez Excluded from Squad Against Luton Town
Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso stated that it was “decided” Enzo Fernandez would not be part of the squad facing Luton Town in the Carabao Cup, despite having anticipated his involvement just a day earlier.
Fernandez, who has been the subject of significant transfer speculation linking him to Manchester City this summer, is reportedly still in discussions with the Premier League side, after they missed an informal deadline for a deal earlier this month. Chelsea is holding out for a transfer fee of approximately £120 million for the Argentina international, with the transfer window closing next Tuesday.
Alonso has put together a strong team for the match, including players Cole Palmer and Morgan Rogers, but noted that Fernandez would not be making the trip despite his earlier expectations that the midfielder would be included. “We assessed situations, individual and collective, and we have decided he is not in the squad for today,” Alonso commented prior to Chelsea’s first competitive home game of the season.
Fernandez had a brief appearance for Chelsea in their Premier League opener against Fulham, where he experienced a mixed reception from fans due to his past performance in Argentina’s World Cup semi-final victory over England. While he was booed by home supporters, Chelsea fans welcomed him back more favorably.
In response to queries regarding Fernandez’s future at the club, Alonso said, “We want to have the best team possible. We know his qualities. He has shown it, and we have to wait, but we will think about tomorrow and let’s see how things develop.”
Meanwhile, Chelsea is reportedly preparing to make a fresh attempt to sign Bournemouth midfielder Alex Scott. The Cherries have so far rebuffed any interest, but there is speculation that a bid exceeding £80 million could change their stance. Alonso refrained from commenting on whether the potential sale of Fernandez would hinge on securing a replacement, emphasizing that each situation needs careful consideration. “It is always about understanding the context, the situation, timings, circumstances, so there is not a defined rule for everything,” he added.
Xabi Alonso said it was “decided” that Enzo Fernandez would not be in Chelsea‘s squad to face Luton Town in the Carabao Cup, despite saying the previous day that he expected the midfielder to be involved.
Fernandez has been heavily linked with a move to Manchester City this summer and Enzo Maresca’s side are expected to return with an offer for the Argentina international despite missing an informal deadline earlier this month.
Fernandez is not in Chelsea’s squad to face Luton (Getty)
The fee Chelsea would consider to sell Fernandez is around £120m and the transfer deadline closes next Tuesday. Manchester City’s midfield rebuild is not yet done despite spending around £200m on signing Elliot Anderson and Ayyoub Bouaddi.
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Alonso named a strong team to face Luton, selecting both Cole Palmer and Morgan Rogers, both Fernandez was not in the squad depsite the new Chelsea manager saying he expected him to be included on Wednesday.
“We assessed situations, individual and collective and we have decided he is not in the squad for today,” Alonso said before facing Luton, which is Chelsea’s first competitive home game of the new season.
Fernandez featured off the bench for Chelsea in their Premier League opener at Fulham on Monday and was booed by the home fans at Craven Cottage for his role in the Argentina’s World Cup semi-final win over England.
Fernandez received a comparatively warm reception from Chelsea supporters when he came on, having been previously booed during a friendly against Real Sociedad at Stamford Bridge before the start of the season.
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Asked whether he would like to keep Fernandez before the Luton match, Alonso added: “We want to have the best team possible. We know his qualities. He has shown it and we have to wait, but we will think about tomorrow and let’s see how things develop.”
The Independent understands Chelsea are preparing to go back to Bournemouth for midfielder Alex Scott. The Cherries have so far shut down any interest, but there’s a belief a bid in excess of £80m, and probably closer to £90m, might bring reconsideration.
However, Alonso would not be drawn on whether selling Fernandez would depend on whether the club can land a replacement.
“It is always about understanding the context, the situation, timings, circumstances, so there is not a defined rule for everything,” he said.
“You need to know how things have worked, what you want, what you want for the future, so I don’t have the rules in stone. We need to assess each situation.”
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