Chelsea are facing a potential fitness concern for midfielder Enzo Fernandez ahead of their Premier League trip to Nottingham Forest.
The match was originally due to take place in Chicago on Monday, October 13, but has been moved to Tuesday, October 14, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
The change, confirmed by Chicago Park District spokesman Luca Serra, was reportedly due to low ticket sales. “Yes, confirming that the Argentina against Puerto Rico match has been cancelled in Chicago,” Serra said.
An Argentine Football Association executive told AP that unrest in Chicago, where President Donald Trump has deployed the National Guard to manage protests over the immigration crackdown, also influenced the decision.
AP reports that the friendly will now take place at Chase Stadium, home of Argentina captain Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami.
The change is a setback for Chelsea, as Fernandez could face a tight turnaround before the 12:30pm BST kick-off at the City Ground. If the match keeps a similar evening slot, Fernandez may not finish playing until around 1am BST on Wednesday, leaving limited recovery time before flying back to England and preparing for Forest.
Chelsea are already monitoring several key players’ fitness, including Joao Pedro, Moises Caicedo and Reece James.
Other players, such as Cole Palmer, Liam Delap, Andrey Santos, Levi Colwill, Wesley Fofana, Tosin Adarabioyo and Dario Essugo, have been nursing injuries, while Benoit Badiashile and Josh Acheampong were both forced off during the last-minute 2-1 win over Liverpool before the international break. Trevoh Chalobah also missed that game through suspension.
Fernandez’s participation will be crucial for Chelsea as they look to maintain momentum in the league, and manager Enzo Maresca will be hoping the midfielder recovers in time to feature at Forest.
