Enzo Fernandez joined Chelsea from Benfica in January for €120million after helping Argentina become world champions.

But his season petered out as the Blues finished 12th in the Premier League, and Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino said: “It was the circumstances — arriving from Argentina to Portugal, from  Portugal to the World Cup, and from the World Cup to England, and never stopping for 18 months. 

“He’s energetic but the young also need rest and to clean the mind.

“He needs to learn about the Premier League. He changed everything — culture, language — and it’s difficult to adapt.”

Pochettino added: “Now is a new start, a fresh start, and they need to show their real quality.

“We must  give them a chance to show they can cope with pressure at Chelsea and perform with the best.

“We can’t just blame the players, we need to see what is going on and why they are not performing in the way we expect.

“When all is clear, we cannot give excuses to them not to perform.”