Liam Rosenior said things are “not what people think” between him and Enzo Fernandez after the midfielder watched from the stands as Chelsea beat Port Vale 7-0 to reach the FA Cup semi-finals.
The agent of the World Cup winner, Javier Pastore, on Friday described as “completely unfair” Rosenior’s decision to remove Fernandez from the team for two matches following comments made during the international break in which he appeared to court Real Madrid.
The 25-year-old will also miss next Sunday’s Premier League game against Manchester City, which could prove to be a warm-up for a cup meeting between the teams at Wembley later in April.
Rosenior would not be drawn on Pastore’s comments and reiterated all is well in the camp after the League One strugglers were dispatched.
“That’s his opinion,” said Rosenior of the agent’s remarks. “I don’t have anything to say on someone else’s opinion. Enzo knows what I think of him and it was brilliant to see him here to support the players today.
“In the right time, in the right moment, which isn’t now, going through what we’ve gone through, I’m sure the discussion will happen in terms of what’s been said between me and Enzo.
“Enzo and I are in a very good place. I saw him today, had a really good conversation with him today one-to-one. Things aren’t what people maybe think they are.”
After back to back Premier League defeats and a Champions League humbling by Paris St Germain, this was further humiliation avoided by Chelsea and with room to spare.
Jorrel Hato and Joao Pedro scored in the first half – Hato’s goal coming after 64 seconds – then Cole Palmer forced an own goal from Jordan Lawrence-Gabriel to make it three by the break.
Tosin Adarabioyo, Andrey Santos and Estevao added three more in the second half before Alejandro Garnacho converted a stoppage-time penalty, ensuring a path to silverware remained open amidst all the lingering doubts about the club’s present direction.
In the absence of Fernandez and Reece James, Palmer was given the captain’s armband for the first time, a role which Rosenior believed the England international is ready to take on.
Palmer is another player who has been linked with a move away from Stamford Bridge, with reports in January suggesting he was eager to return home to Manchester.
“I think it’s a natural step for Cole where he is in his career,” said Rosenior. “He shows leadership. You have different types of leadership. You have players who talk, who organise.
“What Cole does and where he leads is he’s so brave and he’ll take the ball on the pitch. And if he makes a mistake, he’ll take the ball and be positive again. That reflects what I want in this team. I felt Cole led the team magnificently in the game today.”
For Jon Brady’s Valiants, all that remains in a bitter-sweet season is for near-certain relegation to League Two to be rubber-stamped.
“It was a kicker (to concede so early),” he said. “But for the first time in 72 years we’ve created a huge amount of history for the club.
“We’ve crested memories for a lifetime for a lot of our fans.”
