Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez has been ruled out for the remainder of the season after undergoing successful groin surgery on Thursday. The Argentine international has been struggling with a hernia for several weeks and was ineffective in Tuesday’s 5-0 defeat at Arsenal. Fernandez, who was part of Argentina’s World Cup-winning team in 2022, will miss Chelsea’s final six Premier League games and may also be unavailable for the Copa America in June.
The 23-year-old has made 28 league appearances for Chelsea since joining from Benfica for a club-record fee of 107 million pounds in January 2023. He has scored three goals and provided two assists in that time, but his performances have been hampered by the groin injury. Fernandez is the latest in a long line of Chelsea players to be sidelined with injuries this season. Manager Mauricio Pochettino has often had as many as 12 players unavailable, which has contributed to the team’s disappointing ninth-place finish in the Premier League. Chelsea’s struggles continued on Saturday when they lost 1-0 to Manchester City in the FA Cup semi-final. The defeat put further pressure on Pochettino, who is facing increasing calls to be sacked.
Fernandez’s absence is a major blow for Chelsea, who are already struggling to qualify for next season’s Champions League. The Argentine is one of the team’s most talented players and his creativity and energy will be missed in the midfield. Chelsea will now be hoping that Fernandez can make a full recovery in time for the Copa America, which begins in June.
