Carlo Ancelotti has criticised Xabi Alonso's management of Estevao at Chelsea, arguing that the young Brazilian requires regular first-team opportunities to aid his development.

According to ESPN on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, the former Chelsea boss believes ensuring the teenager gets sufficient playing time should be a priority, despite his struggles to secure a regular place in Alonso's starting line-up this season.

Chelsea have endured a mixed start under Alonso, winning five of their first 10 Premier League matches while suffering four defeats. A series of injuries has further complicated the manager's attempts to build consistency within his team.

However, Alonso's decision to repeatedly overlook Estevao when selecting his starting eleven has not gone down well with sections of the Chelsea fanbase.

The Brazilian teenager started the Blues' 2-0 triumph over Manchester United but had to settle for a place on the bench during Sunday's 1-0 defeat to Sunderland.

Ancelotti, who has named the youngster in Brazil's latest squad for their forthcoming encounters with Japan and Singapore, believes additional minutes at club level would benefit his development.

“It would be better if they were getting minutes, not so much because of their current form, but for their development. But we can say they’re arriving fresh, rested. They can put in a good performance for us.”

Speaking directly about Estevao, the former Real Madrid coach insisted that the Brazilian national team would continue keeping tabs on his progress, even if he struggles to get opportunities under Alonso.

“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.

“Until we decide he’s no longer useful to the national team. As long as we think he’s useful, we’ll follow him and give him opportunities to develop as a 19-year-old. We have different objectives to Chelsea.”

So far this season, Estevao has made 10 appearances across all competitions for Chelsea, with only one of those coming as a Premier League start. His total playing time for the club stands at slightly above 300 minutes.

His situation with Brazil has been notably different, as he has already accumulated 172 minutes in three appearances for the national team.

The figures underline the significant difference between his involvement at international level and the opportunities he has received at Stamford Bridge.

If Estevao features for an additional 133 minutes in Brazil's matches against Japan and Singapore, he will have played more minutes for his country in just five appearances than he has managed for Chelsea in up to 13 games.