When Estevao picked up the injury against Manchester United, it immediately raised questions about his place at the upcoming World Cup. Then Chelsea manager, Liam Rosenior, revealed in the post-match interview that the winger had been in tears in the dressing room. And it is not hard to understand why that might have been the case.
Obviously, it is always a difficult moment for a footballer to pick up an injury, especially one who is still just 19 years of age and was just returning from a different fitness issue. And in the back of his mind, there must have been worries about his place at the World Cup.
The World Cup holds a special place in Brazilian football. Winning the tournament is most probably Estevao’s goal as well. So, missing out on what was supposed to be his first one would be a blow.
Estevao had done well for his national team lately. He was even suggested as a potential starter in the absence of Rodrygo. But there is bad news for the Chelsea winger. It looks like he is set to miss out on participating at the World Cup.
Estevao won’t play at the World Cup
According to ESPN, Estevao will miss the 2026 World Cup after being left off the 55-player preliminary list submitted by Carlo Ancelotti on Monday. Interestingly, Neymar was included in the expanded Brazil squad.
Earlier, rumours had suggested that Estevao had refused to undergo surgery. Instead, he had tried alternative treatment in hopes of making the World Cup. He even returned to Brazil.
But unfortunately, none of that seems to have worked out. Medical staff from both Brazil and Chelsea have not been able to guarantee that he will be fit in time for the tournament.
Chelsea winger needs to grow from this setback
Without a doubt, that is a blow for Estevao. This was supposed to be a big moment for his career. It might have even been his breakout at the global level.
That being said, in the long run, it might be better for him. There was always going to be a risk that Estevao could have made the injury situation worse by pushing through it at the World Cup. Just look at how things turned out for Samuel Umtiti. He never fully recovered after that 2018 tournament. At 31 years of age, he retired from the game.
Now, Estevao needs to take his time to recover. And if the belief is that surgery is still required, that has to be given serious consideration.
Of course, this is going to be a tough moment for him. The World Cup comes around every four years and you never know how many you are going to play in. Let’s hope it makes Estevao stronger and even more determined to be at the next one. We can only wish him the best in his recovery process and hope to see him back on the pitch as soon as possible, fully fit and better than ever.
