Chelsea have tracked down the source behind a series of damaging team news leaks that surfaced before both of their Champions League defeats to Paris Saint-Germain, according to head coach Liam Rosenior.
Details of Chelsea’s starting XI were widely circulated in the French media ahead of the first-leg clash in Paris. A similar situation followed before the return fixture, with accurate reports revealing that Wesley Fofana would not start and that Trevoh Chalobah and Jorrel Hato would form the central defensive pairing.
Both leaks proved correct, prompting an internal investigation at Stamford Bridge. The club has since identified the source, though it is understood the information did not come directly from a player.
“We know (who it is),” Rosenior said at his pre-match press conference ahead of the trip to Everton. “It’s not come from any place of malicious intent to me or to the team or to me. We know where it’s come from and we’ve dealt with the situation.”
Chelsea declined to publicly name the individual involved.
The fallout from the leaks came during a difficult European campaign, which ended in an 8-2 aggregate defeat to Paris Saint-Germain. After the second leg, captain Enzo Fernandez raised eyebrows with comments suggesting uncertainty over his future at the club.
Rosenior moved quickly to clarify the situation, insisting the midfielder remains committed.
“I had a great conversation with Enzo at length this morning before training. Not just about his comments, just how he was feeling, how as a team we can improve,” he said.
“He’s one of the captains of the club. What I would say is that he made it really, really clear to me how happy he is here at this club, how much he wants to win, how passionate he is for us to be successful. He also said that in translation and in emotion, things get misconstrued in what he said. For me, he’s fully committed to this group, he’s fully committed to winning here.”
Chelsea are now dealing with a growing injury list ahead of their Premier League clash with Everton. Chalobah is expected to be out for several weeks with an ankle problem, although initial fears of a more serious issue have eased. Goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen is also sidelined after undergoing minor groin surgery.
Club captain Reece James will miss the Everton fixture due to a hamstring injury, though Rosenior confirmed the issue is not serious.
