Chelsea’s most expensive player Enzo Fernandez has been struggling for game time with the Blues since Enzo Maresca assumed the reins as the club’s manager.
The 2022 World Cup champion and two-time Copa America winner has fallen off the pecking order in the Blues’ squad. He has played eight of the Blues’ nine matches, mostly coming off the bench.
This is unlike his debut and 2023-24 campaign when he led the club’s charge for a European spot in the Premier League, making 18 and 23 Premier League appearances, respectively in the two seasons.
While Enzo Fernandez has been less prolific in front of goal, he has earned plaudits for his playmaking and creative prowess in the midfield.
However, it appears the Argentine is fast slipping from the radar under the Blues’ new setup by Enzo Maresca.
Nonetheless, it is pertinent to note that Enzo Fernandez captained Chelsea in their first three matches in the season before being down with a hernia which required surgery.
Since his return from rehabilitation, he has struggled for a regular spot in the team.
Enzo Maresca explains Enzo Fernandez’s lack of game time
Speaking ahead of Chelsea’s Premier League cracker against Manchester United on Sunday, November 3, 2024, Enzo Maresca revealed he is still confident of Enzo Fernandez’s chances in the Blues’ squad despite his lack of game time.
He allayed fears the player could languish on the peripheries for long, adding that the Argentine is still key to his plans and will soon regain his starting berth in the team.
On why he is no longer giving the 24-year-old enough game time, Maresca said he made a different decision but added he is still confident of Fernandez’s chances in his new setup.
“I still trust Enzo Fernandez, there’s no reason I can lose confidence in him. He’s gonna play many games for sure”.
“The reason he isn’t playing in the Premier League is because I made a different decision. My confidence is 100% with Enzo”.
Enzo Maresca’s new-look Chelsea midfield without Enzo Fernandez
Ecuadorian midfield sensation and former Brighton star Moises Caicedo is leading the park in the Blues’ deep midfield role without Enzo Fernandez. Maresca prefers Moises Caicedo paired with former Southampton midfielder and Belgium international Romeo Lavia.
His five-man typical midfield setup usually features the two aforementioned players settling for the holding midfield role while Pedro Neto/Jadon Sancho, Cole Palmer and Noni Madueke lined up behind Nicolas Jackson in the attacking midfield role.
In the EFL Cup loss to Newcastle United, Maresca tweaked the defensive midfield pairing, starting Enzo Fernandez alongside Renato Veiga in the holding midfield role.
This shows Maresca’s has juggled his midfield options for top matches with Fernandez now down the pecking order.
It is more likely the Argentine may not start against Manchester United with Moises Caicedo likely to be paired again with Lavia on holding capacity in the midfield.
However, Enzo Fernandez has not entirely lost his place in the Blues’ squad and is in strong contention to regain his lost berth in the midfield.
Early in the season, Maresca had rave reviews for the former Benfica star, lauding his capacity to play both attacking and defensive midfield role.
‘‘I think it’s very difficult in the way we play to find a midfielder that can attack like an attacking midfielder and defend like a holding midfielder. Enzo Fernandez perfectly fit into this criteria,” he said.
Enzo Fernandez has totalled 54 appearances for Chelsea in all competitions, scoring three goals with two assists.
