He apologised to me — Rosenior gives Enzo Fernandez update ahead of Man City clash

Liam Rosenior has confirmed that Enzo Fernandez will remain suspended for Sunday’s massive Premier League showdown against Manchester City, despite the Argentine midfielder offering a formal apology for his recent controversial comments.

The 2022 World Cup winner remains under an internal club suspension following remarks made during the international break regarding his future, comments Rosenior described as “crossing a line.”

Fernandez, who also missed last weekend’s 7–0 FA Cup thrashing of Port Vale, and his agent, Javier Pastore, have both walked back their initial criticisms of the punishment to apologize to the club.

However, speaking at Cobham on Friday, Rosenior insisted that the sanction must be served in full.

“I’ve had a really good conversation [with Enzo], I’ve had three or four with Enzo. He’s apologised to me, to the club, and we’ll deal with that after a massive game on Sunday,” Rosenior told reporters.

The manager emphasized that while he doesn't doubt the player's integrity, the decision was necessary to protect the club's culture during a turbulent period for the Blues.

“It’s a serious meeting about something very serious to Enzo. I said every single step of the way, I’m not questioning Enzo’s character; I’m not questioning who he is as a person.

"I believe people make mistakes, and you can’t overstep the punishment for the mistake."

Despite the friction, Rosenior was clear that he still views the midfielder as a cornerstone of his long-term plans at Stamford Bridge once the disciplinary "hurdles" are cleared.

“We’ve made a sanction. We made a decision, I made a decision, and what I want from Enzo is for him to go on from here and have an outstanding career.

"No, he won’t play on Sunday. But hopefully, after that, he’ll be a massive part of the group moving forward.

"There are still a few hurdles that need to be overcome that I won’t go into. But at the same time I want every player really, really focused on a huge run-in.”