Enzo Fernandez handed new Chelsea role by Mauricio Pochettino ahead of Tottenham clash

Chelsea news – Enzo Fernandez marked his return from injury with an 87-minute performance which saw him handed a new role

Enzo Fernandez has emerged as a key player under the management of Mauricio Pochettino during his initial months at Chelsea. The talented Argentine, who won the World Cup, was brought in as a box-to-box midfielder in January 2023. However, due to injuries, he was often deployed in a deeper role during the latter half of the 2022/23 season.

During the summer, the Blues acquired Moises Caicedo to occupy that position, with the intention of allowing Fernandez to have a greater impact in advanced areas of the pitch. Unfortunately, injuries continued to disrupt this plan, but in recent weeks, a well-balanced midfield setup has been achieved.

With Caicedo assuming the deepest role, Fernandez and Conor Gallagher are granted the freedom to push forward from midfield. In fact, in a recent match against Arsenal, Gallagher practically operated alongside Cole Palmer in the attack. However, this flow was interrupted in the weekend defeat to Brentford when Fernandez was absent due to a minor muscular injury.

Ahead of the Blackburn cup tie, Fernandez was observed back in training, and he subsequently played 87 minutes in the team’s 2-0 victory. In addition to returning from a one-game absence, Fernandez also had the honor of wearing the captain’s armband for a brief period in the match. This occurred when club captain James was substituted just after the 60-minute mark, and vice-captain Ben Chilwell remained sidelined due to injury.

At the start of the season, Pochettino had to appoint a new captain due to the injuries sustained by James and Chilwell. To the surprise of many, Gallagher was given the armband. Despite the experience and significance of players like Thiago Silva and Fernandez to the team, Pochettino explained his decision in late September.

“I always explain the truth,” he stated when asked about his choice of captain. “In my opinion, Reece is the perfect captain, and then we have Chilly, an experienced English player. Thiago’s experience also led me to select him. Today happens to be his 39th birthday, and I believe he is an experienced player who doesn’t need the armband. It’s important to build not only for the present but also for the future.

“Thiago could have given the armband to Enzo, but Enzo is still struggling with his English. If we need to communicate with the referee and others, Conor can do the job perfectly. Personally, I prefer Conor over Enzo because Conor can communicate fluently in English. Enzo isn’t quite ready to be a captain yet. It’s not just about character, personality, or profile.

“It’s about being able to communicate effectively, and if you don’t have a good grasp of the language, you can’t be a captain, right? I could be mistaken, but that’s my opinion.” Despite Pochettino’s explanation, Gallagher played the entire match, while Fernandez briefly assumed the captaincy, suggesting a spontaneous decision was made on the field, indicating that the 22-year-old is highly regarded within the team hierarchy.