According to Goal, Gus Poyet is concerned that Chelsea's new tactical system will restrict Estêvão's performances and could see him repeat Hudson-Odoi's situation of being asked to play in an unfamiliar wing-back position.

Last summer, shortly after turning 18, Estêvão joined Chelsea from Palmeiras for a significant fee. Thanks to his outstanding ability to change the course of matches, the South American talent earned the nickname "Little Messi" from fans.

Estêvão showcased his technical qualities before his first season at Chelsea was unfortunately cut short by an Achilles tendon injury. The injury also delayed his hopes of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup earlier than planned. He scored 8 goals in 36 appearances and regularly captivated the Stamford Bridge crowd.

Under Xabi Alonso, Chelsea tends to deploy formations without traditional wingers.

Initially, there were hopes that Estêvão would continue improving after settling into Premier League football, but Chelsea's managerial change brought tactical adjustments. Xabi Alonso currently favors a system with three centre-backs, four midfielders, and three forwards.

England internationals Cole Palmer and Morgan Rogers occupy the two attacking midfield positions behind João Félix, leaving no space for a traditional winger role. Estêvão previously felt most comfortable playing on the right wing.

Xabi Alonso has shown tactical ingenuity by shifting right-backs into central midfield and asking Portuguese forward Pedro Neto to play as a wing-back. Former Chelsea player Hudson-Odoi previously faced a similar adjustment requested by Thomas Tuchel and eventually left the club.

Estêvão is reluctant to shoulder excessive defensive responsibilities, as his strength lies in attacking play with the ball. When asked whether the 19-year-old could be affected if used incorrectly, Chelsea legend Gus Poyet told Goal: "Definitely, 100%, he can be affected. But Hudson-Odoi went through a similar situation. Do you remember when Tuchel tried to use five players in defense and then asked wingers to play wing-back? We all know Hudson-Odoi was completely unsuited to it. He left because he didn't want to play wing-back. He's a winger."

"For a while, I was happy the same thing wasn't happening with Estêvão. But then I thought, Pedro Neto is facing the same issue. I don't see him being particularly happy. The other day, we saw Reece James on the pitch calling him back, telling him: 'Come back, mate, you're a wing-back.' Pedro Neto might be thinking: 'I have to play there, because if I don't play in that position, I won't get any playing time.' That's the current situation."

"But they need to adapt. This is also something Xabi Alonso needs to think about right now. He certainly needs to continue working on attacking methods."

"The goals they're scoring are remarkable, and the chances they're creating are excellent. But clearly they still need to improve defensively—conceding too many goals in recent matches is a balance issue. When you win 4-3, everyone is happy; but when you start losing 2-3, everyone will say: 'They're conceding too many goals.' They've also scored 3, so we'll have to wait and see."

Estêvão came off the bench in Chelsea's opening match of the new season, replacing Palmer, and played 7 minutes as Chelsea beat neighbors Fulham 3-2. He then started in the Carabao Cup second-round victory over Luton.

Given the club's high regard for him, Estêvão should see significant playing time this season. However, he may struggle to displace Palmer and Morgan Rogers from the starting XI, and is unlikely to want to play wing-back, meaning Xabi Alonso must solve the puzzle of keeping all his attacking players satisfied.

Chelsea currently have 6 points in the Premier League and have signed World Cup-winning goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez in an effort to shore up their defensive weaknesses. Their next match is an away fixture against defending champions Arsenal on Sunday.

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