Chelsea at Dortmund: 3 players that must start for the Blues

Enzo Fernandez

The World Cup winner’s transition to the Premier League has been almost seamless. The  Argentine midfielder Enzo Fernandez has been the definition of consistency since he took over the Blues’ midfield against Fulham to kick off Chelsea’s fixtures in February.

Fernandez has led the Blues in tackles plus interceptions in back-to-back games while utilizing his vision going forward to make things happen. The former Benfica star has collected 18 passes into the final third, and 17 progressive passes already in 180 minutes on the pitch for the Blues.

His awareness to see Joao Felix making the run, and execution to find him to open up the scoring at the London Stadium was sublime. The price tag may seem a little overwhelming to some, but the 22-year-old midfielder has the world-class quality to change a team’s midfield completely.

The touch map from the West Ham clash tells the whole story. Like Erin Cuthbert on the women’s side, it is difficult to find a blade of grass that he has not touched so far during his time in west London.

He and Thiago Silva are seemingly the two most undroppable players for CFC at the moment. His activity with and without the ball is truly extraordinary for someone his age that is just beginning to find his footing in the most competitive league in Europe. Potter and the Blues need as much class on the pitch at once, and Enzo provides maybe the most of anyone on the squad right now.