Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez will remain sidelined for Sunday's crucial Premier League clash against Manchester City, despite issuing apologies for controversial comments made about Madrid, according to head coach Liam Rosenior.
Fernandez received a two-match internal suspension from the club last week after expressing admiration for the Spanish capital during an international break interview. The Argentine international has been consistently linked with a potential transfer to Real Madrid.
His agent, Javier Pastore, indicated earlier this week that discussions with Chelsea had cleared the air following Fernandez's absence from last Saturday's 7-0 FA Cup victory over Port Vale. There were hopes the ban might be reduced to a single match.
However, Rosenior confirmed the club will uphold the original two-match punishment, meaning Fernandez will miss the high-stakes encounter with Manchester City.
"I had three or four conversations with Enzo," Rosenior stated. "He's apologized to me, he's apologized to the club, and we'll deal with that after a massive game on Sunday."
The Chelsea manager emphasized the seriousness of the situation while defending Fernandez's character.
"It was a serious meeting about something very serious. I'm not questioning Enzo's character or who he is as a person. We've made a sanction, we made a decision – I made a decision – and what I want for Enzo is for him to come here and have an outstanding career."
Chelsea currently sit sixth in the Premier League standings, just one point behind Liverpool who occupy the final Champions League qualification spot.
Rosenior dismissed suggestions that suspending Fernandez was counterproductive, acknowledging there remain "hurdles" to overcome before the midfielder can return to action.
"He won't play on Sunday, but hopefully after that he'll be a massive part of the group moving forward," Rosenior added. "There are still a few hurdles to be overcome that I won't go into, but at the same time I want every player really focused on a huge run."
When pressed about the nature of these remaining obstacles, Rosenior remained guarded.
"There are still things in the air that I won't speak about now. I have a very good relationship with Enzo, as all of us do, but there are still things that need to be cleared before I make a clear statement on the situation."
Despite the current suspension, the former Strasbourg manager expressed optimism about Fernandez's eventual return to the squad, potentially in time for upcoming fixtures.