According to reports, Chelsea players want captain Enzo Fernandez to play against Manchester City this weekend.

Fernandezhas taken his performances to another level this season and has arguably been Chelsea’s most consistent performer, though he has also caused plenty of headaches behind the scenes.

Most recently, Fernandez has hit out at head coach Liam Rosenior and BlueCo in defence of former Chelseaboss Enzo Maresca, while he opened the door to a possible move to Real Madrid.

This resulted in the centre-midfielder being dropped for the FA Cup win against Port Vale and this weekend’s home game against Manchester City.

Upon confirming his decision on Fernandez, Rosenior said: “I spoke with Enzo an hour ago. As a football club, with me as part of the decision, he won’t be available for tomorrow’s game or Manchester City next Sunday. A line was crossed in terms of our culture and what we want to build.”

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He continued: “It’s not ideal. A lot of this stems from a difficult 10 days. I’ll go back to the first game against PSG, it all fell apart in 15 minutes and there was a huge emotional dump that led into the next three games. The comments from Enzo, and Cucu’s interview, stems from that. It stems from a good place where they want the club to succeed.

“Enzo, firstly, as a character, a person and a player, I have the utmost respect. He’s frustrated because he wants us to be successful. In terms of the decision, it’s not all about me, or the sporting directors, the ownership, the players, we are aligned in our decision. The door is not closed on Enzo. It’s a sanction. You have to protect the culture and in terms of that, a line was crossed.

“Even at Everton, there was no lack of commitment in his performance. In terms of speaking for him, what he wants and his future, it’s not for me to speak about.”

Chelsea coped fine without Fernandez against Port Vale, but he will be a big miss against Man City, and his teammates reportedly want him to play.

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This is according to Argentinian journalist Veronica Brunati, who claims Chelsea’s players have “asked” Rosenior to let Fernandez play against Man City.

Brunati also claims Fernandez’s current “priority” is to remain at Chelsea beyond this season and sign a new contract.

“Understand that Enzo Fernández’s teammates have asked the coach to lift his suspension — they see him as key for the clash vs Manchester City,” Brunati said on X.

“Sources close to the player insist his priority is to stay at Chelsea FC, with talks focused on a new deal.

“This is not just about an extension, but a contract upgrade that reflects his role and importance within the team. Several top European clubs are also closely monitoring his situation.”

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