Chelsea fans have been excited about the rise of Estevao Willian, with many already debating whether the 18-year-old could be the natural heir to Cole Palmer in the No.10 role. But manager Enzo Maresca has poured some cold water on those expectations — at least for now.

When asked about the teenager’s suitability to step directly into Palmer’s shoes with the England international currently absent, Maresca made it clear that Chelsea see him as a talent for the future rather than an immediate replacement.

“We consider all our players to give them minutes and all positions,” Maresca said.

“But also I think Estevao reminded me a lot of Cole when Cole was with me in the Under-23s at City. And when he was with us in the first team.

“I think Cole’s path has been similar to Estevao’s path in terms of starting wide as a winger. And then slowly, slowly you can move inside.

“The Premier League is completely different compared to other countries in the world. If you want to play in the middle you need to be physically prepared.

“I think Cole now is like that. In the past he needed to develop that. And I see Estevao exactly in the same way.”