“Our season is over. His injury has put me into a tight spot yet again” – This is according to Enzo Maresca after a key player was recently discovered to have sustained a serious injury during the Carabao cup

Following their Carabao Cup victory against Cardiff City on Tuesday, Chelsea will be missing a significant first-team player for their early Saturday Premier League fixture at Newcastle United.

The unavailable player is young winger Estevão Willian, who was not included in the midweek squad due to a muscular injury. Manager Enzo Maresca confirmed the issue, stating the 18-year-old would be unfit for the Newcastle match, with his return timeline to be determined later.

Since joining from Palmeiras last summer, Estevão has shown promising form with five goals in 21 appearances. The coaching staff has managed his involvement carefully, leading to recent substitute roles. While Pedro Neto and Alejandro Garnacho have been preferred starters, Estevão would likely have seen action against Cardiff if fit.

This absence could benefit Newcastle as they seek to recover from a recent loss to Sunderland. However, Newcastle manager Eddie Howe is also contending with a major defensive setback.

Defender Dan Burn is expected to be sidelined for four to six weeks after sustaining rib and lung injuries in a collision last weekend. This compounds existing defensive issues, with Sven Botman, Emil Krafth, and Kieran Trippier also unavailable, though captain Jamaal Lascelles has resumed training.