Estevao yet to start a Premier League game as Redknapp urges Alonso to find him a role

Estevao is yet to start a Premier League match under Xabi Alonso, with the Chelsea winger restricted to four substitute appearances this season as an established front three continues to limit his opportunities.

Jamie Redknapp has called on Alonso to find a way to integrate the 19-year-old more regularly, arguing the Brazilian is too talented to be kept on the fringes. “I look at Estevao — is he too good a player not to play in this team?” Redknapp said. “He is an incredible talent, but how do you get him in the team when you have got Morgan Rogers, Cole Palmer and Joao Pedro? These are the problems he has to solve.”

Chelsea’s preferred front three has taken shape with Pedro leading the line and Palmer and Rogers — who cost a combined £117 million in the summer — operating on either side. When Pedro was absent on Friday, Danny Welbeck deputised, and Chelsea were beaten 3-0 at Brentford, a result that only sharpens questions about Alonso’s attacking options.

Estevao was a more prominent figure last season, making 12 Premier League starts and scoring eight goals in all competitions under Enzo Maresca and Liam Rosenior. Those contributions included a late winner against Liverpool at Stamford Bridge and a goal in the victory over Barcelona.

Alonso has already found a creative solution for one wide player, moving Pedro Neto into a wing-back role to keep him in the starting XI. Geovany Quenda, another wide option, came off the bench at Brentford, while Jamie Gittens was an unused substitute — underlining the depth of competition for wide positions.

The head coach has been careful to stress that Estevao remains central to his thinking, pointing to the player’s age and development as factors in managing his minutes. “Este is ready, he’s training well,” Alonso said earlier this month. “He had a very good impact [against Arsenal], he has a great chance. So he’s fully involved and with a very good attitude every day.”

Alonso added that Estevao’s role would grow over time: “One hundred per cent he has an important role, because of his potential, because he’s so young, but he’s in that process to adapt and to learn quickly. And the season is going to be long.”