Chelsea target set to be left out of matchday squad after 'complicated days' - Reports

Benfica are set to leave Chelsea target Enzo Fernandez out of their matchday squad to face Portimonense today (January 6), according to Fabrizio Romano.

Fernandez has been heavily linked with a transfer to Premier League club Chelsea in recent weeks. He is said to have agreed to move to Stamford Bridge during the ongoing winter transfer window.

The Blues, though, have struggled to reach an agreement with Fernandez's employers Benfica over a deal. The Portuguese giants are adamant that they will only sell the midfielder if the €120 million release clause in his contract is activated.

There were suggestions that Chelsea are prepared to offer Benfica a fee in excess of €120 million to convince them to agree to a structured deal. However, Romano recently claimed that their initial offer for Fernandez fell well under the Primeira Liga giants' valuation.

Speaking to the media, Benfica manager Roger Schmidt also expressed his discontent at Chelsea's approach. He labeled the Blues' actions as unacceptable and accused them of unsettling Fernandez. He said:

“There is a club that wants Enzo. They know we don't want to sell, they try to have the player on their side... It's a lack of respect and unacceptable, for them to drive the player 'crazy' they say they pay the clause and then want to negotiate?”

It has now emerged that Benfica intend to leave Fernandez out of their matchday squad to face Portimonense in the league today. According to the aforementioned source, the midfielder will not even be named on the bench for the match. Romano wrote on Twitter:

"Enzo Fernandez won’t be called up for tonight’s game vs Portimonense, it’s confirmed. Enzo won’t even make the bench after last complicated days. Benfica message remains clear, as things stand: €120m or no way to sell Enzo in January."

It now remains to be seen if Chelsea and Benfica can put their differences aside and reach an agreement over Fernandez's transfer this month.

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Chelsea target Fernandez won the FIFA World Cup with Argentina

Fernandez was notably a part of Argentina's squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. He played an important role on La Albiceleste's road to glory, helping them win the trophy for the first time in 36 years.

The 21-year-old featured in each of Argentina's seven matches in the tournament, starting in five of them. He scored and assisted a goal each in those matches.

Fernandez reported back to Benfica for training on Tuesday, January 3, after initially missing a session. Schmidt, though, has decided to leave him out of the squad today.