According to The Athletic, after returning from the World Cup, Estêvao has lost his first-team place at Chelsea FC this season. There are two paths for him to regain it: playing as a right wing-back or as a number 10, but neither is straightforward.

Reports suggest that Carlo Ancelotti is not the type to spend a lengthy "August soul-searching" period following Brazil's World Cup exit last summer.

You'd imagine he'd rather be sipping cocktails by the pool than staring at dusty mirrors for hours. So the 67-year-old Italian coach seemed keen to get back to work when Europe's season began a few weeks ago.

Ancelotti watched Lille vs Paris Saint-Germain in France first, then travelled to London to see Tottenham Hotspur face Newcastle United and Chelsea FC play Brighton in the Premier League.

In these three matches, he observed two players he'll rely on to restore Brazil to its expected position over the next four years. One is Vinícius Júnior, his captain, who scored an equaliser for PSG. The other is Chelsea forward João Pedro, whom Ancelotti may regret leaving out of his World Cup squad.

Ancelotti also watched a teenage player he believes represents Brazil's footballing future. He watched him emerge from Stamford Bridge's tunnel, watched him sit on the substitute's bench for 90 minutes, then watched him disappear back down the tunnel in his training kit.

This might just be a minor quirk, just bad luck. However, over the past four weeks, despite being in Europe, Ancelotti has barely seen Estêvao at all – a player central to Brazil's attacking future. The £51 million winger has played just 16 minutes across Chelsea's first three league matches this season, which has become something of a running joke.

Look at the reaction to the 19-year-old's eager substitute appearance in the Arsenal match: former Chelsea and England striker Daniel Sturridge offered him encouragement on television.

"Keep doing what you're doing," Sturridge said during Sky Sports commentary. "Keep pushing forward. Don't doubt your ability. You might not get as much time as you'd like, but we know you have the talent. We know you're a top player. Just keep working."

The season has only just begun.

Chelsea has gone through another transformative summer, with new coach Sabi Alonso building his squad. Three matches is too small a sample. Estêvao was once regarded as one of the few "untouchable" players on the transfer market – unsellable at any price.

But that doesn't mean it's insignificant.

Four months ago, at the end of his excellent first season in England, Estêvao was performing at a high level. Were it not for a poorly-timed achilles tendon injury, he might have been one of the stars of the USA-Canada-Mexico World Cup. Now, however, he's like someone standing at a window, watching the glittering lights and lavish parties inside. He started a Carabao Cup match only to be substituted at half-time, replaced by Jamie Gittens and a 16-year-old academy player. The contrast is striking.

There's no reason to believe this is personal. Alonso praised Estêvao's attitude following the Arsenal match and hinted he'd get opportunities later. The problem is those opportunities won't come in the right wing position where he played last season. In Alonso's system, that role no longer exists.

There are two paths back to the first team, but neither is straightforward.

The first is playing as a right wing-back. Early this season, Pedro Neto has played there, showing that a natural winger can perform well in that position. Estêvao showed promise in this role when he came on as a substitute against Arsenal. Alonso's system is often asymmetrical, meaning the right wing-back has more space to attack than the left.

"If the coach asks him to play that way, I think he can do it," said Jhoão Paulo Sampaio, Palmeiras' academy director who helped develop Estêvao and is one of his earliest mentors, to The Athletic. "He follows instructions well and enjoys being involved defensively."

However, this presents a new challenge. Estêvao is stronger than he appears, but he may not be suited to the intense physical confrontations wing-backs often face. He's never played this position in the academy or for Palmeiras' first team. "His body isn't built for it," Sampaio said. "And we preferred to keep our talented players as close to goal as possible."

Estêvao played multiple matches as a number 10 in his youth teams. Although he debuted for Palmeiras' senior side as a winger, there were calls for him to move centrally soon after.

"He's too talented to stay out wide all the time, just holding the ball there," former coach Vanderlei Luxemburgo said in a 2024 Charla podcast. "I wouldn't waste a player like that. Playing more centrally, he can drift left or right, find space, run at defenders, do whatever he wants."

Coincidentally, Chelsea's willingness to let Estêvao play in this position has convinced both him and his camp that his future lies in West London. His agent André Cury told GloboEsporte last year: "The fact that only this club sees him as a number 10 has been crucial."

Of course, the second path is Estêvao's preference. However, Morgan Rogers and Palmer currently appear settled in those positions. Their understanding with João Pedro has been a highlight of Chelsea's early season. Estêvao must wait patiently, especially since Chelsea has no European competition and limited midweek rotation opportunities for backup players.

Estêvao is a mentally resilient young man. He's discussed the psychological adjustment with his family following his World Cup snub. His religious faith also provides him comfort. Brazil missing out on the World Cup, eliminated by Norway, has disappointed him.

There are no signs of immediate collapse. He's been called up to Ancelotti's new Brazil squad for friendlies against Australia and India. In the national team environment, maintaining a regular starting role will continue to build his form and confidence.

But the Chelsea situation remains a serious test. If he continues to struggle for first-team opportunities, external doubts will certainly persist. Sturridge's encouragement is one form of support, but when the public senses that one of Brazilian football's greatest hopes is being overlooked at club level, more serious questions may emerge in Brazil.

"We're talking about one of the greatest talents of his generation," Sampaio said.

"You've seen it in England. He changes games in minutes. If Estêvao is left behind, we have to ask ourselves what kind of football we want to see."

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