'Untouchable' Chelsea Star Failed To Make Case For Himself After Underwhelming Display in Leeds Win | OneFootball

Chelsea consider Estevao one of the club’s few untouchable players, but he may have to accept that he will have to develop while playing a limited role.

In Tuesday’s press conference ahead of the Carabao Cup third-round tie against Leeds United, Xabi Alonso clarified that Estevao would “100 per cent” play an important role for Chelsea this season.

This was a response to questions about rumours in Brazil that the 19-year-old is concerned about his lack of minutes under the new manager.

Alonso downplayed the notion, insisting that Estevao showed a very good attitude in training every day.

The following day, Estevao made the starting line-up against Leeds, and it was rather underwhelming.

He only stayed on the pitch for 45 minutes. Alonso was forced to unleash Cole Palmer and Morgan Rogers after a disappointing first half, with the visitors leading 1-0 at half-time at Stamford Bridge.

Alonso’s decision was justified in the end, as Chelsea completed a comeback and secured a 6-4 win. Palmer scored twice, and Rogers created four of the hosts’ six goals.

Estevao, on the other hand, created just one chance in the 45 minutes he played. Even more concerning, he completed just one of his five dribble attempts. His ability to get past defenders is what makes him special, and he struggled to do it in this match.

While it is unfair to judge him too harshly off one game, it is undeniably harder for Alonso to justify giving Estevao more minutes when Palmer and Rogers have performed so reliably.

What now for Estevao?

All in all, nothing really changes for the Brazil international in the short term.

As reported by the BBC, he is part of Chelsea’s untouchable players, alongside Palmer, Joao Pedro, and Moises Caicedo. The club are understood to have no intention whatsoever of selling any of these players.

Chelsea and Estevao’s camp have even reportedly entered early discussions over a new contract despite the teenager’s current deal running until the summer of 2033.

Chelsea could likely make a profit if they decided to cash in on the former Palmeiras star, having signed him for a relatively low initial price of £29m. But his high ceiling makes cashing in on such a talented player unappealing.

The question is how playing limited minutes will impact Estevao’s chances of reaching that ceiling, since Palmer and Rogers are unlikely to drop down in the pecking order anytime soon.

Across all competitions this season, Palmer, Rogers, Joao Pedro, Danny Welbeck, and Pedro Neto have played more minutes than Estevao among Chelsea attackers. However, Neto has mostly played as a wing-back, and Estevao does not really compete with Joao Pedro or Welbeck.

In other words, Estevao is practically the third option at non-striker attacking spots, which should give him enough minutes to make an impact and continue to develop as a player.