Chelsea confirm Enzo Fernandez injury timeline after undergoing surgery

Chelsea have announced Enzo Fernandez's 2023/24 season is over after undergoing surgery on a long-standing groin injury.

Fernandez will sit out the Blues' final six games of their Premier League campaign having gone under the knife to correct this issue.

A club statement on Thursday night read: «Enzo Fernandez has today undergone successful surgery on a groin issue and will now begin a period of rehabilitation, sidelining him for the remainder of Chelsea's 2023/24 season.

»The 23-year-old midfielder will work with the club's medical department on his rehabilitation at Cobham."

Chelsea will wrap up the 2023/24 season with matches against Aston Villa, Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United, Nottingham Forest, Brighton & Hove Albion and Bournemouth. They still have a chance to qualify for Europe and sit only six points behind sixth-placed Manchester United having played one game fewer.

Though Fernandez won't play for Chelsea again this season, reports claim he could still be fit enough to partake in Argentina's defence of their Copa America title this summer. The tournament, which will be held in the United States, kicks off on 20 June and concludes on 14 July.

Should Fernandez join up with the Argentina squad and they make a deep run in the competition, he will likely be given extra time off by Chelsea before returning for pre-season training.

Chelsea's pre-season campaign features five games in the United States, with friendlies against Wrexham, Celtic, Club America, Manchester City and Real Madrid lined up.

Fernandez has largely underwhelmed for Chelsea since his £105m move from Benfica in January 2023, which at the time was a British-record fee. This sum could yet rise to £135m if all add-ons are met.

The Argentine made 40