Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez has been criticised by sections of the Argentine media despite helping his country reach the World Cup semi-finals.
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Fernandez scored the winner in Argentina’s 3-2 extra-time victory over Egypt in the last 16, before Lionel Scaloni’s side overcame Switzerland 3-1 after extra time to set up a last-four meeting with England.
The 25-year-old was substituted at the start of extra time against Switzerland after a subdued display, with Julian Alvarez and Lautaro Martinez scoring to send Argentina through.
Argentine sports newspaper Ole was critical of Fernandez’s performance, writing:
“His goal against Egypt certainly didn’t change his lackluster performance. His best moments came when he tried to link up with Leandro Paredes and Lionel Messi, but he always ended up in the same bottleneck that Argentina found itself in for most of the match. He was substituted at the start of extra time for Thiago Almada.”
Argentina will face England in Wednesday’s semi-final, where Fernandez is set to come up against Chelsea team-mate Reece James.
James featured in England’s 2-1 quarter-final win over Norway after recovering from the hamstring injury that limited his involvement earlier in the tournament.
Fernandez’s club future also remains uncertain, with the midfielder continuing to be linked with a move away from Stamford Bridge this summer despite Real Madrid denying reports of interest.
Chelsea will hope to retain the Argentina international, who has again shown during the tournament his ability to make a decisive impact in key moments.
