Chelsea fans have a wild theory ahead of Enzo Fernandez's potential debut against Fulham on Friday. The Argentine was signed late on deadline day, Tuesday, but didn't arrive in England until Wednesday.
He has had time this week to quickly get used to his new surroundings and teammates at Cobham but nevertheless faces a quick turnaround from the mentally exhausting transfer process. The issue is that due to Chelsea's lack of midfield options, specifically when it comes to deeper players, Fernandez's services are likely to be recquired.
Having played four times since the World Cup and the murmurs of a move to England started to pick up, Fernandez is still match fit having last played on January 26. Chelsea themselves have had two weeks off due to the FA Cup weekend and new signings Mykhailo Mudryk and Noni Madueke have been able to bed themselves in fully.
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Mudryk came off the bench in Chelsea's last match, the 0-0 draw at Anfield against Liverpool, but could be in line to start against the Cottagers whereas Madueke has had time to adapt to new surroundings. As a World Cup winner and now the most expensive player in Premier League history, there is an expectation for Fernandez to hit the ground running.
Although this is unfair it isn't unrealistic that he features at Stamford Bridge. However, there was no clear indication that he trained with his teammates ahead of the match. Chelsea's training images left much to be desired when it came to Fernandez content despite funny gimmicks for his shirt number and impressive songs being created upon his announcement.
It also comes as Graham Potter revealed that there are still things to be cleared up in order for him to be eligible to play. The head coach said: "We've got to go through the paperwork and get the clearance and all that. My Spanish isn't great and his English isn't great, but we'll get there. He is an impressive young man and we're looking forward to working with him."
That raised concerns over his availability and the lack of pictures confounded supporters' fears. One eagle eyed match-goer spotted what they believe is proof that he did indeed train, though.
In two images from training there are tiny clues that fans have speculated could have been Fernandez. The Argentine has a distinctive hand tattoo which many think is partially visible in the background of two pictures in which most of the body is covered.
There have also been suggestions that Chelsea themselves are playing a game to convince Fulham that Fernandez isn't available, only to spring a surprise with the lineups. One fan theorised, "they’re trying to make it seem like he wasn’t involved."
football.london understands that he did indeed train ahead of the match. The picture situation could be a little trick being played or may well just be a coincidence.
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