Under Mauricio Pochettino, Enzo Fernandez has developed into a significant player in the latter’s early months at Chelsea. The World Cup winner was signed in January 2023 with the intention of playing box-to-box, but due to injuries, he was used more deeply in the second part of the 2022–2023 campaign.

In order to allow Fernandez to have an influence farther up the field, the Blues signed Moises Caicedo to fill that role over the summer. More injuries made it difficult to implement that plan on a regular basis, but in recent weeks, a great midfield balance had been achieved.

Conor Gallagher and Fernandez are allowed to move forward from midfield with Caicedo playing the deepest role. Gallagher almost played with Cole Palmer in the attack against Arsenal last month. Unfortunately, Fernandez’s slight muscular injury kept him out of the game during the weekend’s loss to Brentford, disrupting the flow of the game.

He was seen returning to training before the Blackburn Cup match, and he went on to play 87 minutes in the 2-0 triumph. Fernandez’s one-game absence was rewarded with a first when he was awarded the captain’s armband for a brief segment of the match, with vice captain Ben Chilwell still sidelined due to injury and club captain James replaced shortly after the hour.

At the beginning of the season, Pochettino had to choose a new captain. To the surprise of many, Gallagher was awarded the armband due to injuries to James and Chilwell. Thiago Silva and Fernandez felt like the logical alternatives because of their experience and significance to the squad, respectively, but Pochettino gave an explanation of his thinking in late September.

“For me, it was nominating Reece, I think is the perfect captain of course and then an English player with experience is Chilly. And then I think Thiago is because of experience; today is his birthday, 39,” Pochettino said when asked to clarify his captain replacement decisions.

“And I think he is an experienced player that doesn’t need the armband and then I think it’s important to build something for the future. Not only the present but the future. He is there and captain is not only to put the armband on your arm. 

To clarify, I think maybe it was Thiago give to Enzo but Enzo is still struggling with his English. If we need to communicate with the referee and everything I think Conor can perfectly do the job and for me I prefer Conor than Enzo because I think Conor can speak normally, English. I think Enzo is still not ready to be a captain. It is not only because of character or personality or profile.

It’s about you need to communicate with the people and if you don’t manage still the language properly you cannot be captain no? I don’t know. Maybe I’m wrong but it’s my opinion.”