Another blow for Chelsea! Enzo Fernandez makes decision to undergo surgery on niggling hernia injury instead of waiting until end of the season

According to Hernan Castillo, the Argentine midfielder will go under the knife at the earliest opportunity to relieve the pain that he has been suffering from. Fernandez aims to regain full match fitness before the Copa America where the Albiceleste will be fighting to defend their crown on US soil.

The Argentine FA were reportedly pushing Fernandez to go for the surgery as soon as possible so that he gets maximum time to recover before the continental tournament in the summer. With the pain and suffering increasing considerably in the last few days, the 2022 World Cup winner has decided to opt for the procedure on Thursday.

Fernandez has not been able to realise his potential after he was signed from Benfica for £106 million ($134m) in January last year. The midfielder did admit that he doesn't feel "100 per cent" which might be one of the reasons behind his underperformance.

Speaking to the official Chelsea website, Fernandez had said: "I’m trying to get there, to the version of me that you saw at the World Cup. I want to feel like that Enzo, that was playing at the World Cup. I want to get back there. I feel good, getting better each day, but I still don’t feel like I’m at 100 per cent. I’m still adapting and still don’t feel entirely myself, but I’m trying to get there as quickly as possible and working hard every day in order to do so."

Fernandez will miss the rest of the season with Chelsea after undergoing hernia surgery. Mauricio Pochettino's men are still pushing for a European berth but find themselves six points behind Manchester United after the derby humiliation against Arsenal. The Blues now must string together a perfect run of results in their six remaining matches to keep their continental hopes alive - starting with a tricky trip to Aston Villa on Saturday evening.