Enzo Fernández will be welcomed back into Chelsea’s group this week after manager Liam Rosenior confirmed he’d overcome the “hurdles” required to be reintegrated—though the club’s record without him in the team may not be as bad you’d imagine it would be.
After being issued a two-game internal suspension for publicly flirting with Real Madrid and questioning the departure of former manager Enzo Maresca, Fernández apologized to club officials but was not permitted to return for Sunday’s 3–0 defeat to Manchester City.
Having not offered any further detail on the day, Rosenior clarified post-match: “He has spoken with me, the leadership group and all of the players, and we look forward to welcoming him back.”
As a result, Fernández will now be back in contention for Saturday’s crucial meeting with Manchester United—but is that actually a good thing for the Blues?
Chelsea’s Record With Fernández vs. Without
Fernández has been a near-permanent fixture of Chelsea’s starting lineup since his expensive arrival from Benfica in January 2023.
He had managed 161 appearances for the club by the time of his internal suspension, including 112 appearances in the Premier League out of a possible 126. Those outings have yielded 44 wins, 36 losses and 32 draws, with a lot of those poor results coming in his first six months in the nightmare end to the 2022–23 season.
Durability has been one of Fernández’s biggest strengths at Stamford Bridge. A handful of small injuries have sent him to the sidelines, with his only significant absence coming because of a groin problem which ended his 2023–24 season early.
Just 14 Premier League games have passed without Fernández’s involvement. Sunday’s defeat to City was just the third loss without the Argentine, compared to 10 wins and a solitary draw.
| Statistic | With Fernández | Without Fernández |
|---|---|---|
| Games Played | 112 | 14 |
| Wins | 44 | 10 |
| Draws | 32 | 1 |
| Losses | 36 | 3 |
| Win Percentage | 39.2% | 71.4% |
Are Chelsea Better Without Enzo Fernández?
One quick look at the numbers would suggest Chelsea’s chances of victory are far higher without Fernández. In reality, however, things are not that simple.
Under former boss Maresca, Fernández was one of Chelsea’s most-important players, developing into a box-crashing goal threat and often providing when his team needed him most. He ended his time under the Italian with 15 goals and 19 assists in all competitions, and Fernández has actually maintained a similar rate under Rosenior.
In 18 games before his suspension, Fernández managed five goals and four assists, averaging out at a higher goal rate and a marginally lower assist return compared to his 79 outings under Maresca. His qualities, including passes from deep that do not always jump out on the stats sheet, are no secret.
On the other hand, Rosenior currently finds himself facing a familiar conundrum at Stamford Bridge. Fernández’s talents are not up for debate, but how should he actually be used?
After initially starting out as a deeper midfielder to try and turn him into a tempo-setter, Fernández was often used in an advanced role under Maresca to make the most of his scoring instincts. Rosenior has, like those before him, experimented with both.
Fernández even spent a handful of games out on the left wing in the early days of Rosenior’s tenure but has primarily been used at either end of midfield, with his versatility turning into both a blessing and a curse.
That continued failure to maximize Fernández means that, despite being one of the team’s best from a technical perspective, there are massive questions over his involvement from a tactical stance.
Rosenior has already admitted to having plenty of headaches to solve in the final stretch of the season. The Blues are on track to fall short in their bid to qualify from the Champions League and can effectively kiss that dream goodbye if they fail to beat United at the weekend.
Fernández’s availability is a welcome boost to a Chelsea side lacking genuine gamechangers, but finding a place for him in the starting lineup depends solely on how Rosenior chooses to approach what has turned into the most important game of the season so far.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as How Chelsea’s Record With and Without Enzo Fernandez Compares.
