Chelsea have confirmed that teenage winger Estevao has been granted compassionate leave to return to Brazil, with head coach Liam Rosenior insisting there is no pressure on the 18-year-old to come back.
The former Palmeiras starlet flew home on Saturday to deal with a personal matter and is unlikely to feature in Tuesday's Carabao Cup semi-final second leg against Arsenal at the Emirates. Rosenior said: 'I don't know yet when he'll return. He's a young kid who has been magnificent. He's going through a really difficult time for personal reasons. I won't put any pressure on. It has to be right for him.'
Estevao joined Chelsea in the summer from Sao Paulo and has impressed in his debut season, scoring six goals in 29 appearances. He would have been in contention for the Arsenal clash, with the Blues trailing 3-2 on aggregate as they aim for a third Carabao Cup final in five seasons.
Rosenior acknowledged Arsenal are favourites but remained hopeful: 'The reality is Arsenal are favourites for the tie. They're a goal up and at home. We need to take it as far as we can. The second half hopefully will be massive in turning the tie around.'
The Blues are also sweating on the fitness of Jamie Gittens, who went off with a suspected hamstring injury in the first half of Saturday's 3-2 win over West Ham. Rosenior made seven changes for that match, with the second string trailing 2-0 before regular starters came off the bench to spark a comeback. The manager defended his rotation policy, saying: 'I don't have a best XI. The physical demands of the Premier League mean you need a squad. I try and pick the right starting team and a bench that gives us the right finishing team.'
