Chelsea winger Estevao Willian has been ruled out of the rest of the season and Brazil’s World Cup squad after suffering a hamstring injury during Chelsea’s 1-0 defeat to Manchester United last month.
The 19-year-old hobbled off during the first half of the clash, with former Blues head coach Liam Rosenior later revealing that the teenager was devastated by the injury setback.
Rosenior disclosed that Estevao was left emotional in the dressing room at half-time as the seriousness of the injury became clear.
Chelsea interim manager Calum McFarlane has now confirmed that the Brazilian sensation will not play again this season.
Speaking ahead of Chelsea’s FA Cup final showdown against Manchester City, McFarlane said Estevao would remain sidelined for “a little bit of time,” effectively ending his debut campaign at Stamford Bridge.
The injury also means the highly-rated winger will miss Saturday’s FA Cup final, where Chelsea are aiming to lift silverware against Pep Guardiola’s side.
Estevao has now suffered another major disappointment after reports in Brazil confirmed he has been omitted from the country’s preliminary World Cup squad.
According to Brazilian outlet ge.globo, the youngster opted against surgery and instead returned home for treatment and rehabilitation. Reports have also suggested he suffered a slight setback during recovery.
The winger had looked certain to make Brazil’s travelling squad after featuring prominently during the qualification campaign. He made seven appearances and scored once for the national team before injury struck.
Only 26 players from Brazil’s expanded 55-man provisional list will travel to the World Cup finals, with the final squad set to be announced next week by Brazil head coach Carlo Ancelotti in Rio de Janeiro.
Meanwhile, Brazil legend Neymar has been included in the preliminary selection despite doubts surrounding his fitness.
Chelsea signed Estevao from Palmeiras in June 2024 before he officially joined the club last summer.
Nicknamed “Little Messi” in Brazil, Estevao arrived in England carrying huge expectations and has largely lived up to the hype during his first season in London.
The teenager scored eight goals and provided four assists in 36 appearances across all competitions for Chelsea.
Among the standout moments of his breakthrough campaign was a dramatic late winner against Liverpool in October and a brilliant solo goal against Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League.
He also scored FA Cup goals against Hull City and Port Vale, and could still receive a winners’ medal if Chelsea defeat Manchester City in the final despite his absence.
Brazil, five-time world champions, have been drawn in Group C for this summer’s tournament alongside Morocco, Haiti and Scotland.
A top-two finish would secure progression to the knockout stages, where they could potentially face one of Netherlands, Japan, Sweden or Tunisia.
