Yesterday I wrote an article questioning whether Enzo Fernandez needs to sit out a game or two coming up.
This at the time wasn’t even anything to do with any injuries, it was more about the fact that Moises Caicedo and Conor Gallagher played so well together in the double pivot on Monday night and that actually, with Gallagher playing deeper we have more defensive stability.
I think it’s a warranted question and debate, but my conclusion was that we have to have Enzo in our starting Xl way more often than not, for me that’s not a debate. How do we get them all together and playing in their best positions and to their strengths? That’s maybe for another article, or even for the actual coach of the team! But it’s a nice problem to have.
Anyway, since I wrote that one, further news came out via Argentinian sources suggesting that Enzo might now actually need to have surgery on his hernia injury and is contemplating having it. If he does, he will miss three weeks. Obviously it would be best to wait until the end of the season, but can we and Enzo risk doing that?
I reported last week that we heard Enzo’s injury was not a bad one, and it isn’t. But it is one that has been there and has been consistently bothering him. Enzo is another player who we understand has been playing through some pain this season and using pain killers before games. This is very common by the way.
So going back to my original question, maybe Enzo does in fact now need a few games to rest and if he needs surgery to finally get on top of the hernia injury, maybe he should just bite the bullet and go with it?
Enzo should have been rested in his last game, but he wasn’t and now we are without him again. Maybe we need to learn from that mistake?
The reality is that if he doesn’t go through with surgery now (if that news is correct) then he will be back in the squad for the next game, or maybe the one after. But that is then not dealing with the issue, is it?
I’ve written before that I believe Enzo has been fatigued mentally and physically after basically playing every game since he joined last season, and a large portion of them this season.
Whether he has his surgery or not, Enzo needs a break. As I’ve reported before on here, he has been unhappy with things at Chelsea in terms of the results; he is a winner and wants to win, he came here to win things at this club, and he’s been disappointed with how the team has been performing and also, that he has not yet played to the high quality he knows he can play at.
This injury has just been there, and it’s not helping at all. I believe it has effected his performances and if it hasn’t, then the fatigue certainly has.
We need Enzo at his best, and we need Enzo fully fit and not fatigued. I know this is a crucial part of the season, so a big decision will now need to be made between Enzo and the Chelsea medics. I truly hope they get this one right because this could be the most important one they make all season.
Chelsea will manage without Enzo, they showed that on Monday. But Enzo for me is a quality player and will become so important for us and already is really. We need him fully fit and firing on all cylinders.
