Criticism grows over Enzo Maresca’s handling of Estevao Willian at Chelsea

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Estevao Willian hasn’t been thrown straight into the deep end under Enzo Maresca at Chelsea, with the manager instead choosing to ease him in carefully over the first few months of his time at the club.

While Estevao Willian was just 18 when he made his move from Palmeiras, he arrived with high expectations and plenty of attention. The youngster has handled it well so far, quickly becoming a fan favourite even before cementing a regular place in the starting lineup.

The left-footer usually lines up on the right wing and has already earned appearances for Carlo Ancelotti’s Brazil side. But while his international career is off to a strong start, he’s still working to secure a consistent spot in Maresca’s preferred XI at Stamford Bridge.

Here is a look at Estevao’s record across all competitions so far in his Chelsea career:

Estevao has only started four Premier League games so far. While Maresca is clearly taking his time bringing him into the fold, there’s no doubt that fans are eager to see more of him as he continues to impress every time he steps onto the pitch.

Steve Nicol calls on Enzo Maresca to give Estevao Willian a start

Speaking ahead of Chelsea’s weekend fixture against Tottenham, ESPN pundit Steve Nicol made the case for Estevao Willian to be in the starting lineup.

Nicol told ESPN: “I don’t understand why he doesn’t play Estevao from the start. I really don’t. You’re talking about how do Chelsea take the step forward. Well, how about you play [Pedro] Neto on the left, you play Estevao, and then you play Joao Pedro? Then you’ve got [Moises] Caicedo and [Enzo] Fernandez behind that. I mean, that’s a great weapon there, the five of them.”

Estevao looks ready to break into Chelsea’s best XI sooner rather than later.The trip to Spurs could be an ideal moment for him to get another chance in a fixture that means plenty to supporters.

He looked sharp again in the midweek Carabao Cup win over Wolves and was taken off around 60 minutes—perhaps with this weekend’s derby already in mind.

Chelsea’s depth on the wings

Enzo Maresca has had to juggle his squad to deal with a congested fixture list, but he’ll be looking for some stability in his Premier League line-up soon.

READ MORE: Brazilian star offers honest apology to Chelsea fans after disappointing time at the club

Pedro Neto and Alejandro Garnacho have held down starting spots recently, though Estevao and Jamie Gittens are pushing hard for more minutes.

Estevao, in particular, looks ready for an extended spell in the side. A consistent run could help him find even more rhythm and confidence.