Estêvão Willian's future at Chelsea remains a hot topic, with the Brazilian winger struggling to secure regular playing time in the Premier League under new manager Enzo Maresca. Football.London believes Chelsea should nonetheless retain the talented youngster.

Brazilian media reported earlier this month that Estêvão expressed frustration over his lack of starts in the team's current campaign.

Though the 2024/25 season is underway, the 19-year-old winger has yet to make a Premier League start under new manager Enzo Maresca. Including substitute appearances, he has played just 20 minutes across three major fixtures this season.

Maresca dismissed claims of the young player's discontent in a recent press conference, insisting that Estêvão will play an important role for Chelsea this season. While this may prove true, discussion surrounding his limited playing time continues.

As a result, Bobby Vincent and Jack Stokes of Football.London recently discussed and debated what they believe Estêvão should do next. The two writers ultimately reached an agreement.

It's genuinely a difficult question.

Of course, Chelsea should keep Estêvão. Who wouldn't want one of the most talented young players in world football playing for them? It's almost a no-brainer.

However, Chelsea are not competing in any European competition this season, which makes it harder for squad players to accumulate significant minutes. This particularly affects Estêvão, who is currently on the periphery of the starting XI due to competition from the attacking trio.

Currently, Cole Palmer appears to have secured the right-wing position. While the season is long and injuries can force changes, it won't be easy to break up the combination of Palmer, Morgan Rogers, and João Pedro.

If reports of Estêvão's frustration are accurate, it's understandable. He knows his quality and deserves to play in the highest-level matches for the senior team. However, his reality is harsh: Palmer, Rogers, and João Pedro are currently very difficult to displace.

He could also be deployed as a left winger, but Maresca seemed unenthusiastic about this option when asked about it in a recent press conference. Maresca believes Estêvão's best positions are right wing or left wing, roles with limited defensive responsibilities.

Chelsea must do everything to keep him, and I believe they will. But they may also need to convince him that he remains an integral part of their long-term plans at Stamford Bridge.

Despite current disappointment, patience may yet be rewarded for Estêvão.

Maresca should try to ensure Estêvão receives more playing time, but he shouldn't abandon Chelsea's usual approach of selecting players based on performance. This 19-year-old clearly has the potential to become one of the first names on the team sheet and could even force the Blues manager to adapt his system. First, however, he must prove he can be consistently reliable at the highest level.

Last season, Estêvão showed he could compete with the world's best players, delivering outstanding performances in crucial Champions League victories over Ajax and Barcelona, and playing a key role in the Premier League win against Liverpool. However, the Brazilian hasn't always been fit, suffering several minor injuries throughout the season, followed by a more serious hamstring issue in April.

Despite his talent, his inconsistent availability is concerning in today's demanding 40, 50, or even 60-match seasons. Of course, Estêvão can only adapt to these physical demands by gradually increasing his playing time, so he must be used carefully.

Both he and Maresca simply need patience. Plenty of matches remain in this season. As long as he can maintain the form he showed against Arsenal in the Premier League, rather than his display against Leeds United in the League Cup, opportunities will come for the Brazilian.

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