Xabi Alonso Explains Enzo Fernandez's Chelsea Absence vs Luton Amid Man City Transfer Interest | OneFootball

Enzo Fernandez's future needs to be resolved in the final days of the transfer window.

Xabi Alonso insisted Enzo Fernandez’s absence from Chelsea’s squad in the Carabao Cup second-round win over Luton Town on Thursday was his and the club’s decision.

Fernandez’s absence from the Chelsea team sheet for the League Cup tie certainly raised some eyebrows.

The Argentina international only featured as a substitute in the second half in the win against Fulham on Monday, and Alonso himself expected Fernandez to be in the squad.

His absence unsurprisingly led to even more speculation over his potential transfer to Manchester City this summer.

Reports from Argentina even claimed that it was Fernandez himself who asked not to be included in Chelsea’s cup tie against the League One side.

Alonso, however, dismissed the rumour and insisted that he and the club had made the decision.

“We assess individually, collectively, what is best for the team. We made the decision,” the Chelsea boss said in his post-match conference when asked about Fernandez’s omission.

“It was our decision from myself and the club. It's just because of the game today and we had other players that needed minutes and it was that way.

“He's a good professional. He's training well and I have nothing to say about him.It was just a decision that we had to take, thinking about the game that we're playing tonight and we'll see for Sunday.”

On the bright side, Chelsea still managed to secure a 2-0 win over Luton Town despite Fernandez’s absence. Reece James started in midfield alongside Valentin Barco, who made his official debut for Chelsea.

Meanwhile, Fernandez's transfer saga will remain a distraction for the club.

It is widely reported that Manchester City were set to make an opening offer for Fernandez, who is also said to be keen on a potential reunion with Enzo Maresca.

Even if Manchester City were to make a bid, it is unclear whether Chelsea would approve Fernandez’s exit with just a few days left in the summer transfer window. This would leave Chelsea very little room to secure a replacement for Fernandez.

Chelsea previously demanded £120 million for the midfielder up until the August 14 deadline they set, and the asking price may have risen since.

After all, the 25-year-old remains under contract with Chelsea until 2032, so the club will have the final say over his future this summer.

Chelsea will host Brighton at Stamford Bridge on Sunday afternoon. Since Moises Caicedo is expected to be back in the squad this weekend, Fernandez’s availability is unlikely to be a big issue.

As it stands, Alonso has Caicedo, James, Barco, Romeo Lavia, and Dario Essugo as his central midfield options alongside Fernandez. Essugo may still leave on loan this summer, and Chelsea are expected to bring in a replacement if Fernandez were to leave.

Bournemouth’s Alex Scott, Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton, and AS Monaco’s Lamine Camara are among the midfielders Chelsea have been linked with this summer.