Opinion: Chelsea must avoid Cole Palmer & Lamine Yamal mistakes with Estevao | OneFootball

Enzo Maresca insisted that while Estevao is ready for a more regular role at Chelsea, he feels he has to allow the winger to adapt to a new life in England first - and it makes perfect sense.

During the press conference on Friday, Maresca pointed out how Estevao has already struggled with the cold in England in October.

Maresca then joked, "Imagine when it’s December or January! I said to him, 'Now it’s still hot!'"

But does Estevao really lack opportunities at Chelsea?

IMAGO / Sports Press Photo

Estevao already among most used attackers at Chelsea

The Brazil international has featured in 15 of the 16 games Chelsea have played this season across all competitions, but only seven of those were as a starter.

Three of those 15 appearances, against Bayern Munich, Manchester United, and Tottenham Hotspur, were merely cameos of less than 10 minutes.

In terms of minutes, Estevao ranks 11th at Chelsea with 635 minutes from his appearances.

To put it into perspective, Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez, who have also featured 15 times for the club, have played 1,172 and 1,157 minutes, respectively, in all competitions.

But they play different positions, and among attackers, only Joao Pedro (1,037) and Pedro Neto (946) have had more minutes on the pitch than Estevao.

These two are seasoned footballers who have played regularly in England since 2020/21. In comparison, it is easy to forget that Estevao is just 18.

There is no doubt that Estevao performs better as a starter, with three of his four goals for Chelsea scored when he made the first 11.

However, just like when he made the decisive impact for Chelsea in the win over Liverpool last month, he could prove to be an impactful substitute as well.

Cole Palmer's injury absence is likely part of the reason why some fans want to see Estevao start more.

Palmer and Estevao, as Maresca himself pointed out recently, are quite similar, and Chelsea look more threatening up front when they are on the pitch.

Still, too much football can hurt players sometimes.

IMAGO / Sergio Ros

Lessons from Cole Palmer and Lamine Yamal's situations

Another player who is struggling with a groin injury like Palmer is Barcelona's Lamine Yamal, who, like Estevao, is also 18.

The Spain international became a regular starter for Barcelona in 2023/24, and started in 44 games for the club in La Liga and the Champions League last season.

However, due to the injuries, Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick has now had to be cautious about the teenager's game time, too.

"If he manages that the right way, hopefully it goes away, but it's not easy to say with the situation," Flick recently said about Yamal's injury.

Chelsea's plan for Estevao should be to give him plenty of minutes to be as impactful as Yamal and Palmer, but rest him enough to minimise the risks of persistent injuries.

IMAGO / Fotoarena

"He's a young player, we can't put too much pressure on him," Brazil captain Casemiro said about Estevao after the winger's impressive performance against South Korea during the October international break.

"It's very important to say this, even with him, we have to stress this point.

"Because we know of countless players who you put pressure on and then their performance drops.

"He plays for Chelsea, he's a starter for Chelsea, in the most competitive league in the world, but we have to take it easy, stay calm.

"You can already see that he's a great player; you could already see that at Palmeiras. But let's take it easy with him so as not to rush the football process."