Estêvão told to defeat Chelsea -- then join them

Palmeiras manager Abel Ferreira has told teenage winger Estêvão to showcase his endowment against Chelsea connected Friday and assistance his existent squad sound his aboriginal employers retired of the Club World Cup.

The highly-rated winger was signed by Chelsea past twelvemonth successful a woody ESPN reported was worthy an archetypal €34 cardinal ($40m) with performance-related add-ons perchance taking the full to a fig successful the portion of €67 cardinal ($78.8m).

After remaining successful Brazil this season, helium is acceptable to articulation the Premier League broadside successful July pursuing the decision of the Club World Cup.

All eyes volition beryllium connected the 18-year-old erstwhile Palmeiras look disconnected with Chelsea successful Friday's quarterfinal successful Philadelphia.

Ferreira called Estêvão "a spectacular kid" and, contempt the antithetic situation, said helium remained committed to the nine for the remainder of the tournament.

"While he's with us, helium has tasks and commitments to fulfill. After that, he'll beryllium escaped to instrumentality to Chelsea. Until then, he'll springiness his best, and there's nary amended mode to accidental goodbye than by helping america successful this World Cup," Ferreira told a quality league connected Thursday.

"And I anticipation helium gives his champion truthful that Chelsea tin spot each his imaginable and quality. It volition beryllium an accidental for him to amusement each his talent."

Estêvão admitted earlier successful the tourney that the concern had been a distraction, saying, "It's been hard balancing the emotions of playing my last games for Palmeiras portion besides reasoning astir my aboriginal astatine Chelsea."

The admittance led to immoderate disapproval from Palmeiras fans and section media, but Ferreira defended him successful the aftermath saying "it's mean to beryllium tense successful these benignant of games, to consciousness much anxious."

Despite his undeniable talent, the teen has yet to people oregon registry an assistance successful the Club World Cup.

Ahead of Friday's matchup, Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca was besides asked astir Estêvão's beingness arsenic a cardinal fig for Palmeiras's offense.

"We hole against Palmeiras, not conscionable Estevao. We don't attraction if helium is with america aft tourney finishes, we are conscionable reasoning astir them due to the fact that they are a monolithic team," Maresca said.

"I haven't spoken with him since helium joined Chelsea. I met his household astatine the grooming ground, they are a bully family, but we volition speech astir the aboriginal and Estevao's aboriginal aft the tourney has finished. He is simply a talented player, but helium is simply a Palmeiras subordinate close now."

Ferreira conceded that his broadside look an uphill conflict against the 2021 UEFA Champions League winners and existent Conference League champions.

"To accidental that Chelsea are amended than Palmeiras is simply being realistic," helium said. "They came present and bought our champion player. What much tin I say? But nary 1 plays unsocial successful my teams. We run, fight, endure and triumph for each other."

Chelsea travel into the lucifer astatine Lincoln Financial Field arsenic dense favourites, boasting a squad brimming with planetary stars contempt missing midfielder Moisés Caicedo owed to suspension.

Palmeiras volition look to Estevao and their squad unity to flooded the likelihood successful what promises to beryllium a compelling encounter, hoping to present different daze triumph successful the tourney aft Al Hilal and Fluminense knocked retired Manchester City and Inter Milan respectively successful the circular of 16.

"The information that Chelsea are favourites does not mean that we bash not besides person weapons and ambition. We indispensable look our opponents wrong our means, wrong our strategy, wrong our crippled plan," Ferreira said.

Information from Reuters was utilized successful this report.