Fernandez 'in a lot of pain', pulls out of Argentina squad

Enzo Fernandez has pulled out of Argentina's squad for the international break after revealing "he is in a lot of pain" due to an ongoing knee injury.

Following Chelsea's 3-0 win over Wolves in the Premier League on Saturday, Fernandez confirmed he would use the two weeks to recuperate as he is suffering from bone edema in his knee.

This season, including the Club World Cup, Fernandez has played more games than any other Chelsea player, featuring 23 times, with 20 of those appearances coming from the start.

Indeed, only Marc Cucurella (1,788) has played more minutes than the Chelsea captain (1,755) in that time.

"I've been talking with the medical staff [of the Argentine national side] because I've been dealing with a knee problem for four months," Fernandez told ESPN's SportsCenter.

"I've had bone edema that has become worse in recent weeks due to the number of games I have played.

"We made the decision together that I should rest for these two weeks, since the important part comes at the end of the season [the Finalissima against Spain and the World Cup]. It was very good to have discussed it and decide together that this is the best thing for my knee.

"I'm in a lot of pain. I'll try to recover as much as possible over these two or three weeks and be 100% ready to train and play with my team-mates again."

As a result, Fernandez will miss Argentina's friendly against Angola on November 14.

The 24-year-old, who also missed the October international break through injury, played 83 minutes against Wolves, and had the most shots (five), final-third entries (11), passes into the final third (33) and won possession more than anyone else (eight times).

He is also the Blues' third-top scorer in all competitions with five goals, and has laid on four assists, a team high in 2025-26.