Xabi Alonso has insisted Estevao remains part of his plans at Chelsea and dismissed the possibility of a January loan move after the teenager was again left out against Liverpool in midweek.
The 19-year-old has played only 172 minutes this season and is yet to start a Premier League match under Alonso. His lack of opportunities has frustrated some Chelsea supporters, particularly after he was an unused substitute in Wednesday’s Carabao Cup defeat at Anfield.
Alonso said the Brazilian would get his chance as the season progresses and accepted responsibility for his limited involvement.
“Sure, he will play,” the Chelsea manager said. “The season is long and there will be moments for everyone.
“It’s a process, for the team, for [Estevao], for myself. But I’m sure that in the season, he will have his games, his minutes. We are still early in the season but he will be there.”
Asked whether Chelsea might send him out on loan in January, Alonso replied: “No discussions about [a loan].”
The winger made a strong impression after arriving from Palmeiras last summer. Chelsea had agreed the deal in 2024 but allowed him to remain in Brazil for another year before moving to England. He quickly became a favourite with supporters, who had high hopes for him after his performances last season.
His stoppage-time winner against Liverpool at Stamford Bridge in October was one of the highlights of Chelsea’s campaign. He also scored a memorable individual goal in the 3-0 Champions League victory over Barcelona the following month.
A hamstring injury brought his season to an early end in April and also ruled him out of the World Cup. Alonso said he has recovered fully but is still adjusting to English football after his injury.
“It’s not about attitude, it’s been about the context of games,” he said. “He’s a great guy. It’s an adaptation, after the first year and the injury. We are still in October. He will be important.”
Chelsea’s attacking options have also made it difficult for Estevao to break into the side. Morgan Rogers, Cole Palmer and Joao Pedro have formed Alonso’s preferred front three and contributed 14 goals and 10 assists between them in the club’s first 11 matches.
However, Palmer was suspended and Joao Pedro was injured for Wednesday’s match at Liverpool, yet Estevao still did not feature. Alonso said he understood that players wanted more time on the pitch and accepted that his decisions had affected the youngster.
Chelsea face Manchester United at Stamford Bridge on Saturday after losing at home to Tottenham last weekend. Alonso wants a response from his players after what he considered a poor performance against Spurs.
“I saw a better version of ourselves on Wednesday [against Liverpool] than I saw on Saturday,” he said. “The result at the end wasn’t good, but I want to see more of the good version of us.
“On Saturday we were not at our level. We’ll have tough moments and we need to learn from them.”
