Why Enzo Fernandez is absent from Enzo Maresca's Chelsea squad to face Bournemouth
Enzo Fernandez is not part of Enzo Maresca's Chelsea squad for Saturday evening's Premier League clash away at Bournemouth. football.london understands that the 23-year-old is missing due to illness, with fellow midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall also absent for the very same reason.
A key part of Maresca's Chelsea midfield, the Argentina international has been replaced in the team by summer signing Renato Veiga. The Portuguese youngster partners Moises Caicedo in the middle of the park, with the Ecuador international taking on the captain's armband for the encounter at the Vitality Stadium.
One other change in the Chelsea team sees Axel Disasi come in for the injured Malo Gusto at right-back. New loan signing Jadon Sancho is part of the squad to face Bournemouth but takes his place on the substitutes' bench.
READ MORE: Bournemouth vs Chelsea LIVE - Latest updates as Enzo Fernandez out, Veiga starts, Sancho benched
READ MORE: Enzo Maresca makes 13-word joke about Todd Boehly, Behdad Eghbali and Chelsea buyout situation
Fernandez should now have sufficient time to recover from illness with Chelsea having no midweek game on the calendar. The Blues return to action next Saturday lunchtime with an away game against West Ham, before then hosting League Two side Barrow in the third round of the Carabao Cup three days later.
Fernandez did feature heavily for Argentina in the first international break of the season. Playing 90 minutes in their 3-0 win over Chile, he then played 85 minutes in their following game as they lost 2-1 away to Colombia.