Enzo Fernández had one of his best game in a Chelsea shirt last night in our 3-0 win over Wolves at Stamford Bridge, and he did it while dealing with a painful knee condition, which has now prompted him
to withdraw from international duty with Argentina.
In fact, as Enzo himself would later reveal, he’s been dealing with this condition for the past four months — but it’s been getting worse and worse as he’s not had a chance to properly rest it during all that time (so essentially since the start of the season). And this international break will be his last chance to do so for a while.
“I will not be available with Argentina, I was just talking to the medical team because I had a problem with my knee in the last 4 months. I came with a bone edema that got worse in the last weeks and months because we played a lot of games.
“Me and coaching staff have decided to rest together because I don’t have time to rest because there are a lot of games. I think the most important thing is coming to the end of the season and I think it’s good to make this decision together. Always respecting the doctors and everything.
“I think it was the best decision to rest these two weeks for my knee. In the last week I suffered a lot of pain and everyone here knows it. These two weeks I recovered as much as I could. I will recover as much as I can when I am 100% back to training and playing with my team.”
-Enzo Fernández; source: Twitter
An edema is a build-up of fluid in a given body part, in this case in the (marrow) of a knee bone — which then leads to joint stiffness and pain. It’s not a primary condition but rather a symptom of an underlying condition or specific trauma (such as a bone bruise). In most cases, it just needs rest and pain management to resolve, though it can take time (months, if not years). In severe cases, more drastic intervention may be necessary as well.
It sounds like Enzo’s condition is at the less severe end of things … at the moment. Taking a bit of well earned rest would certainly be prudent. We know he’s the type to want to play through any and all injuries (such was the case with his sports hernia last season), but even Iron Man needs to recharge every once in a while.
Hopefully others can follow his example, such as Moises Caicedo, Joao Pedro, and Pedro Neto, all of whom have been dealing with (and generally playing through) more than just your standard in-season knocks and bruises of late.
“[Caicedo got] a kick, first half, in his knee. But he finished the game. I asked him after the game if he was OK. Joao Pedro, Neto and Enzo, they asked for a change. Because Pedro had a problem with his groin. And Enzo had a problem with his knee. So we need to see how they are now.”
-Enzo Maresca; source: Football.London
How they should be now, and for most of the next two weeks, is with their feet up in their favorite lounge chairs, doing absolutely nothing.
