By Tom Gott
Enzo Fernandez has revealed he has been playing through pain for the past six months before finally undergoing season-ending surgery on Thursday.
Chelsea confirmed Fernandez will miss the final few weeks of the season after heading under the knife, having made the decision with a view to ensuring the midfielder is fit and ready to compete at Copa America this summer.
Reports of Fernandez's injury have been common in the past few weeks but the Argentina international has now revealed he has been battling pain for a lot longer.
"I wanted to let you know that my operation was successful and everything went well, thank God," he wrote on Instagram. "I needed to get this surgery because I was dragging the pain on for about six months. It was something I could avoid while constantly treating myself with injections and medications.
"But a few weeks ago the pain started to get more and more intense, without any of this taking effect, and it was worse as I trained and played, annoyingly, but I didn't want to stop being part of the games.
"Whenever I get to play with the Chelsea jersey, like the national team, I always try to do my best despite all this, but I can't stand it anymore.
"Thank you for the messages, encouragement and your token of love always. Shout out to everyone, I promise you I’m coming back stronger than ever."
Fernandez has faced immense criticism this season for a downturn in form which many have now attributed to his long-standing injury battle.
Blues boss Mauricio Pochettino pledged his support for Fernandez during his press conference on Friday.
"At the moment he feels the pain and he feels the limitations because of the problem," the manager explained. "The most important thing is to fix the problem for him. If he does not feel well, he cannot perform because of the situation. It's not good for him, the team or the club."
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This article was originally published on 90min.com as Enzo Fernandez reveals truth behind injury struggles after surgery.
