Carlo Ancelotti has reassured Chelsea winger Estevao Willian that he is in no danger of losing his place in the Brazil squad.

The 19-year-old has endured a difficult start to life under Xabi Alonso at Stamford Bridge, largely being left on the periphery of the Spaniard's plans.

Despite a recent start against Manchester United and his half-time introduction versus Sunderland on Sunday, Estevao has played just 305 minutes of club football in 2026-27.

Alonso has been of the opinion that he does not want to risk Estevao picking up more muscle injuries at this stage of his career.

Theoretically, the former Palmeiras starlet missing out on opportunities could have impacted on his chances with his national team.

Estevao handed boost by Ancelotti

Brazilian outlet UOL addresses Ancelotti having to deal with a number of situations where players are lacking game time for their respective clubs.

Nevertheless, when speaking on Estevao's minutes, Ancelotti gave every indication that the attacker would remain a key player on the international stage.

He said: "What we expect from Estevao is for him to show the qualities he has. We’ll keep following him. Even if he doesn’t play a single minute at Chelsea, we’ll keep following him until we decide he’s no longer useful to the national team.”

"As long as we think he’s useful, we’ll keep following him and giving him opportunities to develop as a 19-year-old. We have different objectives to Chelsea."

Is Estevao getting right blend of action?

Estevao has already racked up 143 senior appearances for Palmeiras, Chelsea and Brazil.

For a player who is still five months short of his 20th birthday and has spent time on the sidelines with muscle injuries, it is a lot of football.

While Estevao would naturally like to play every game, Alonso is attempting to look at the long-term picture, and it is difficult to argue against his approach.

With Estevao gaining 132 minutes across the last two Premier League matches, he is match-fit for Brazil's showdown with Japan on Saturday.