Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca may have felt justified in dropping his namesake Enzo Fernandez from his starting XI, but with every game he is left out, that decision is becoming harder to justify.
While on international duty on Thursday, Fernandez helped get Argentina off to a flyer in their World Cup 2026 qualifier against Paraguay with a sublime assist. His long ball over the top found Lautaro Martinez and the clinical striker provided a fine finish after just 11 minutes.
The Albiceleste went on to lose 2-1 in Asuncion, but Fernandez's performance wouldn't have gone unnoticed by Blues scouts following his progress across the international break.
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The £107million midfielder has now racked up five assists in his last three appearances for club and country. That total might have been even higher had the midfielder not been substituted at half-time during the 8-0 thrashing of FC Noah, when he had already completed a hat-trick of assists.
Even after finding out he was benched for the London derby with Arsenal, Fernandez made his mark from the bench - having the vision to supply Pedro Neto with an inch-perfect pass and the Portuguese winger duly provided the finish to salvage a point.
It will be a welcome boost for the 23-year-old, who has lost his place to Romeo Lavia after a noticeable decline in his performances since Maresca took charge. Issues away from the pitch, from his controversial video with the Argentina team to relationship issues have put his name in the headlines for the wrong reasons.
Fernandez recently announced he had separated from his wife Valentina Cervantes, the mother of his two young children, and the couple look set for a divorce. Whether his dip in form is directly related to his personal life or not, former Blues midfielder Emmanuel Petit believes Maresca's decision to keep Fernandez out of the team is for his own good.
"He has to manage his personal problems first before becoming the real midfielder he used to be a couple of years ago. He needs to solve that first," Petit said, speaking to Instant Casino.
"Lavia and Caicedo have been amazing for Chelsea. It will take weeks, probably months, for him [Fernandez] to compete and to compete for the first XI, but he’s so far away at the moment.
"To be honest with you, Enzo Maresca is doing him a service by putting him on the bench because of what’s happening in his private life. He’s not there – in his mind – at Chelsea right now. It won’t help him by putting him in the team. It’s a good decision to keep him out of the starting line-up."
But with Lavia's fitness a constant cause for concern - especially after coming off against Arsenal - Fernandez's recent uplift indicates his slump is now behind him.
Granted, the Blues' second-most expensive signing hasn't lived up to sky-high expectations just yet in his 22-month spell at Stamford Bridge, but the manner in which he has reacted to being dropped by Maresca is a clear demonstration of his determined character.
If continues to make an impact for both his club and country on the pitch, Maresca will struggle to find excuses to keep Fernandez off it.
