Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca may have felt justified in removing his namesake Enzo Fernandez from his starting XI, but with every game he is left out the decision becomes harder and harder to justify.

While on international duty Thursday, Fernandez helped Argentina come out on top in their 2026 World Cup qualifying match against Paraguay with an assist. His long ball over the top found Lautaro Martinez and the clinical striker provided a fine finish after just 11 minutes.

The Albiceleste then lost 2-1 at Asuncion, but Fernandez’s performance would not have gone unnoticed by Blues scouts following his progress during the international break.

The £107million midfielder has now racked up five assists in his last three appearances for club and country. That tally could have been even higher had the midfielder not been substituted at half-time in the 8-0 defeat to FC Noah, despite already having a hat-trick of assists.

Even after finding out he was on the bench for the London derby with ArsenalFernandez has made his mark from the bench – having the vision to provide Pedro Neto with a 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 lost his place to Romeo Lavia after a notable decline in his performances since Maresca took charge. Off-the-field issues, from his controversial video with the Argentina team to relationship problems have made headlines for the wrong reasons.

Fernandez recently announced that he had separated from his wife Valentina Cervantes, the mother of his two young children, and that the couple appeared ready to divorce. Whether his dip in form is directly linked 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 deal with his personal problems first before he becomes the true midfielder he was a few years ago. He has to resolve that first,” Petit said, speaking to Instant Casino.

“Lavia and Caicedo were incredible during Chelsea. It will take him weeks, probably months, to compete and compete for the first XI, but he is so far away at the moment.

“To be honest with you, Enzo Maresca is doing him a favor by putting him in the dock because of what is happening in his private life. He is not there – in his mind – at Chelsea right away. It won’t help him by putting him on the team. It’s a good decision to keep him out of the starting XI.”

But Lavia’s fitness is a constant source of worry – especially after being beaten against Arsenal – Fernandez’s recent improvement indicates that his crisis is now behind him.

Certainly the Blues’ second-most expensive signing has yet to live up to sky-high expectations during his 22-month stay at Stamford Bridge, but the manner in which he reacted to being dropped by Maresca is a clear demonstration of his character determined.

If he continues to make an impact for both club and country on the pitch, Maresca will struggle to find excuses to keep Fernandez away.