Xabi Alonso says Chelsea needs players with ‘desire to play’ after leaving out Enzo Fernandez

Chelsea coach Xabi Alonso defended the decision to exclude Enzo Fernandez from the squad for Thursday's League Cup win over Luton, citing interest from Manchester City. The coach emphasized the importance of players who "feel the desire to play" and are in good form. Speaking ahead of Chelsea's upcoming Premier League match against Brighton, Alonso noted that the club takes into account the players' performance and energy levels.

"We need to take everything into consideration, players that are in good moments, players that are not feeling that energy to play. For me it’s very important that they feel that desire to play and to have good preparation," he added. Although Fernandez is a top player, Alonso maintained that he made the right decision not to include him in the squad for the match against Luton.

Chelsea secured a 2-0 victory over the third-tier opponents without Fernandez, thanks to a debut goal from new signing Danny Welbeck and a Luton own goal. Any potential deal for Fernandez, who was a World Cup finalist for Argentina, would pose a tight transfer window challenge for Chelsea, with the deadline set for Tuesday.