Chelsea wonderkid Willian Estevao was blocked from training and told he “needed to sleep” upon return from the international break.
The 17-year-old attacking talent, who will join the Blues next summer from Palmeiras once he has turned 18, came off the bench in both of Brazil’s recent World Cup qualifiers against Ecuador and Paraguay, respectively.
And now he has picked up a muscle injury after Palmeiras boss Abel Ferreira declared earlier in the week: “When he arrived, he didn’t sleep at all and wanted to train. But we told him no, to go home, sleep, recover. Since we have time, we can take care of the players and play games with this intensity.”
Estevao, who can play out wide or as a No.10, has now equalled Neymar’s record, set in 2009, for most goals and assists by a 17-year-old in the Brazilian top-flight.
Chelsea’s £51million signing, including add-ons, now has nine goals and seven assists in the league this season but he won’t be able to break the 15-year record this weekend as his thigh problem will keep him sidelined for Sunday’s match against Vasco da Gama.
The Blues are already shaping plans to bring huge talent Estevao to Cobham for a visit to help his acclimatisation before his big move to west London next summer.
Estevao has already agreed a whopping eight-year contract at Stamford Bridge that is due to run until the summer of 2033.
Enzo Maresca recently declared he has been monitoring the teenager’s progress closely, stating: “He’s performing fantastically, but unfortunately he’s performing there and not here. We’ll wait until next summer when he arrives, but we’re very happy with the way he’s doing things.”
Former Brazil and Deportivo La Coruna icon Djalminha feels Chelsea have got a real gem – though he also noted that he feels Estevao should be playing for an even bigger club amid the Blues’ recent struggles.
He told Spanish outlet El Larguero: “Even though Brazilian football is a disaster, there is a gem at the level of Neymar that I am delighted with, and that is Estevao. He is impressive. He is just emerging, but he will certainly be a star.
