Another team-mate of Enzo Fernandez has defender the midfielder after he filmed himself singing a 'racist' chant. 

Fernandez released a statement on social media on Tuesday stating he 'stands against discrimination in all forms' and that he apologises for 'getting caught up in the euphoria of our Copa America celebrations' after a video of members of the Argentina team on a bus went viral.

The statement came after a video appeared to show the Argentina players singing about how French players are 'from Angola' or have a 'Nigerian' mother and a 'Cameroonian' father.

Fernandez has received vast criticism in response, with a number of Chelsea team-mates unfollowing him on social media and Wesley Fofana branding the song 'uninhibited racism'.

Now, de Paul, who has played 69 times for Argentina and was part of the squad that won the Copa America starting the final, has defended his team-mate on the back of the scandal.

Another of Enzo Fernandez's Argentina team-mates have leapt to the midfielder's defence

'You don't analyse the songs that much,' he said, speaking via Diario AS. 'I can understand people who have suffered racism and don't like it, but then there is a place for everything.

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'If someone or a colleague of Enzo feels offended, the way to go about it is to call him if you know him personally, not to put it on social networks.

'There is a bit of malice in it, or maybe wanting to put Enzo in a spot that he has nothing to do with. You don't have to do add fuel to the fire, or make it into a show.'

Fofana's Chelsea compatriots including Malo Gusto, Axel Disasi, Benoit Badiashile, and Lesley Ugochukwu have since unfollowed Fernandez on Instagram, where Fernandez on Tuesday shared a public apology. 

The 23-year-old is also thought to have apologised to his team-mates in private, against the backdrop of Chelsea launching an 'internal disciplinary procedure' over their midfielder's conduct.

De Paul is not the first Argentina player to have spoken in defence of Fernandez, with Liverpool's Alexis Mac Allister also giving his view on the situation.

'You have to be careful with what you say or do,' Mac Allister said on Thursday in an interview with Argentina's Urbana Play FM. 'Especially in Europe where they are much more sensitive than here.

'The reality is that we are not a racist country, we are not used to talking about racism so much.'

Adding that it was 'obviously a very important topic', Mac Allister went on to underscore that the midfielder was a good person. 

'Enzo has already apologised and explained what happened,' he continued. 'I don't think there's much more to say. 

'We know Enzo, we know he would never do it with bad intentions, he's not that guy, he's not racist.'

While Fernandez's father has also defender his son, the likes of Demba Ba also criticised his actions.