There was no shortage of catalysts for misery after Chelsea’s Carabao Cup elimination at the hands of Liverpool on Wednesday, but one of the biggest talking points was generated by a player who did not even take to the pitch.

The stage seemed set for young Brazilian Estêvão. Minutes have been hard to come by for the 19-year-old in Xabi Alonso’s 3-4-2-1 system, but Wednesday brought not only a change in formation, but also an extra opportunity through the suspension of Cole Palmer. Most fans felt a start for Estêvão was effectively a certainty.

Not only did Estêvão begin the game on the bench, but the only time he left the dugout was for a brief warm-up to receive the serenades of Steve-O from a fanbase that is growing increasingly concerned by his situation.

With transfer rumors swirling as the January window creeps into view, what on earth is going on with Estêvão?

An Awkward Fit

Unless you have been living under a rock for the past few years, you will already be familiar with Estêvão. He debuted for Palmeiras as a 16-year-old and was quickly billed as one of the most exciting prospects in the world. That cliché is thrown around a little too often these days, but nobody could deny it was a fitting description of the Brazilian.

Estêvão’s career, up to this point, has been as a right winger. That’s where he saw his minutes for Palmeiras and under former Chelsea bosses Enzo Maresca and Liam Rosenior.

There’s one big problem this season, and that’s the fact Alonso’s setup simply does not include natural wingers.

His 3-4-2-1 is built around two inside forwards behind a central striker, with the width provided by two wing backs. On the right, that has been Pedro Neto, whose defensive work rate has been as important to this team as anything else this season.

“But wait! Estêvão actually wants to play as an inside forward! Surely there’s no problem?”

Estêvão has openly admitted that he sees his future as a central attacking midfielder, rather than a winger. There are two such places in Alonso’s team ... but they just so happen to be occupied by the club’s talisman and their record signing.

Palmer and Morgan Rogers are effectively certain to play every possible minute as duel No. 10s, leaving Estêvão forced to feed off of scraps. Palmer’s suspension provided a route to the starting lineup for Estêvão, only for Alonso to change his setup away from one that needed even one attacking midfielder.

As a result, Estêvão went unused. Again. He’s played just 172 minutes across all competitions thus far—coincidentally exactly the same tally as he racked up for Brazil during the three games of the September-October international window.

His Relationship With Xabi Alonso

Estêvão’s situation is so bleak that fans have been left scratching their heads. Sure, he is not the finished product yet, but he is arguably Chelsea’s most exciting forward and one capable of making a difference against any opponent.

With that confusion has come the predictable speculation about his relationship with Alonso, whose limited use of Estêvão across a season that has not gone to plan thus far is truly baffling.

In truth, there have been no real signs to suggest a rift between Alonso and Estêvão—at least, nothing that extends beyond the typical frustrations that come with reduced opportunities.

“He could be happier,” Alonso confessed after the Liverpool defeat. “He wants to play. I’m sure Estê will have his moment, it is my responsibility. We know the game in England is really intense, and you need to be up for it. Estê is in his second season. The season is going to be long.”

Alonso clearly has concerns over Estêvão’s physicality. The teenager is hardly known for his strength and it would appear as though the Chelsea boss is placing increased importance on being able to compete with more than just your feet.

What Does the Future Hold?

This is the biggest fear for Chelsea fans.

Estêvão needs to play. At 19 years old, he is at a crucial point of his career in which his development depends solely on exposure to first-team action. At this point, he is not getting that at Chelsea, and there are no signs to suggest that situation will change.

Worringly, there would be no shortage of suitors for Estêvão if he did decide to explore his options. Paris Saint-Germain have been heavily linked with expect a queue of suitors that could stretch across Stamford Bridge.

The ball is, currently, in Chelsea’s court. Estêvão is under contract until 2033 and is not going anywhere without the Blues’ approval, but the reality is this situation does not benefit anyone. Chelsea have a hugely valuable asset wasting away on the sidelines and growing increasingly unimpressed with each passing snub.

According to Fabrizio Romano, the alarms have not been sounded inside Chelsea just yet. Club officials are not yet at the point of believing that a solution needs to be found once the January window opens, seemingly still confident that opportunities will arrive under Alonso.

That optimism is not shared by the Stamford Bridge faithful, who want more for a player whose talents have quickly established him as a fan favorite. Supporters will continue to chant Steve-O in the hope that, one day soon, it will be more than just a sideline greeting.