The sale of Andrey Santos from Chelsea to Manchester United could have repercussions on Estevao, as the two were close friends, and that friendship helped the young Brazilian winger settle in.
The departure of Andrey Santos from Chelsea is causing divided opinions among the club's fans on social media. While some consider him a player who can be dispensed with for having a substitute role, for others, it is very important to have substitutes who have already proven to have the necessary quality when the coach requires them. However, there is a topic that is rarely discussed.
How much will Estevao be affected by Santos' departure from the team? Let us remember that in an interview he gave to Chelsea's official website, the young winger commented the following: "Those two have been a huge part of my journey here; they've been fundamental to my development so far. I'd say we've been pretty inseparable. Without them, I'm sure it would have been much harder to adjust. So, I'm really grateful."
Santos left for Manchester United for close to £50 million, and, as we just mentioned, for many, he is an easily replaceable player. But could it affect the young Brazilian's performance? We know that it is very important to have a connection to our home, and even more so when you are so young and find yourself in such a distant country. For Estevao, Joao Pedro, and Santos, there is a connection with Brazil.
Time will tell, but for now, the player remains focused on his recovery, which, according to Liam Twomey, will take longer than initially expected. Because the first days after Estevao got injured, some media (mainly in Brazil) had erroneously reported that it was only muscle discomfort and that he would be back in about 15 days.
Only to later find out that it was a grade 4 hamstring tendon rupture. Something that made him break down in tears because he knew what that meant; even so, he decided not to undergo surgery to try to be in time for Brazil's call-up. As a result, he was omitted since he did not fully recover; in fact, today he continues doing low-intensity recovery exercises.
It is estimated that he will be at 100% physically for the last months of the year, so he still has a long and hard road ahead. Everything seems to indicate that Geovany Quenda will be his replacement for now, as he has just arrived from Sporting CP and is expected to be one of the best players of his generation, just like Estevao, who must remain calm to return to his full physical condition and compete for the starting spot.
