Chelsea confirm Enzo Fernandez will miss the rest of the season after undergoing surgery for groin problem

Chelsea have announced that Enzo Fernandez will miss the remainder of the 2023/24 season following a surgery procedure to resolve a groin problem.

The Argentine international has been playing through the pain but has now opted to go under the knife to be fit in time for the Copa America.

Despite his Chelsea struggles, he remains a crucial player for manager Lionel Scaloni as they look to secure back-to-back continental titles. 

Fernandez missed the 6-0 Everton thumping ten days ago but returned for the 5-0 defeat at the hands of Arsenal.

The former Benfica delivered another subpar performance against the Gunners, completing only 82% of his passes and winning only two of his ten duels.

Fernandez is one of the few that manages to deliver quality performances week in and week out for Chelsea, and his recent struggles suggested something was wrong. 

Fernandez will hope to recover in time for next season after another forgettable campaign at Stamford Bridge. 

The 23-year-old had envisioned competing for trophies when he signed an eight-and-a-half-year deal with the club in January 2023.

However, Chelsea have since been stuck in midtable mediocrity and continue to struggle to avoid this quicksand into which they are sinking.

Astonishingly, Fernandez has only won 14 of the 46 Premier League games he has played for the Blues – a stat that highlights just how poor Chelsea have been over the past 18 months.

Manager Mauricio Pochettino finds himself in the firing line after failing to galvanise his young squad into a competitive team. There are rumours Chelsea might opt for another coach next season. 

Chelsea deeply need a reset from the failed BlueCo project. The club must understand that this project has been unsuccessful and dismiss the sporting directors responsible for this mess (Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley).

Chelsea must return to the drawing board with new sporting directors and possibly a new manager who can lead talented players like Fernandez to compete for top honours.