Chelsea

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We asked you to put some questions to our Chelsea reporter Nizaar Kinsella during the international break.

In the first part of Friday's Q&A, the focus is on Chelsea's academy prospects.

Chris asked: A few years ago it seemed like we had a good bunch of academy players coming through, especially when Frank Lampard was somewhat forced to utilise them. Are there any exciting prospects coming through? The youth we're currently buying seem so far from the standard we require.

Nizaar answered: It is worth looking at forwards Shim Mheuka and Jesse Derry, who have scored 23 and 12 goals in 30 and 29 games respectively.

Also, 17-year-old Ryan Kavuma-McQueen has been outstanding in under-18s football and he still looks like one of the strongest attacking players at under-21 level.

Reggie Walsh, who was "loved" by former boss Enzo Maresca, continues to perform well. Mahdi Nicoll Jazuli, who is 16 years old, also looks highly promising - and keep an eye on 16-year-old Reggie Watson.

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Shaun asked: Is there any possibility that the performance of the sporting directors is under review?

Nizaar answered: It is something I've looked into before, but there has never been any indication they would be reviewed for what fans increasingly see as underperformance.

They would argue that they have reduced the wage bill, balanced the books and still won a couple of trophies last season.

They felt they were making progress under Maresca, but his decision to effectively walk away left them taking a backward step before they could move forward again.

People inside Chelsea believe they have recruited well in many areas, with some wastage inevitable at a big club.

As for the sporting directors, I know a section of the fanbase is frustrated with certain signings and with the club not pursuing some big-name targets. However, Chelsea are now extremely disciplined on wages and remain satisfied with the people in charge.

Keep across this page on Friday for parts two and three of Nizaar's Q&A, which will focus on subjects such as Enzo Fernandez's future and stadium plans.

Helena Calil
BBC Sport

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In and out of the team after making his Chelsea debut on the opening weekend of the 2025-26 Premier League season, Estevao's big moment came against Liverpool in October.

On as a 75th-minute substitute, he scored a last-minute winner to beat the champions. Even Enzo Maresca ran to embrace him.

"A classic moment. He comes on and scores a goal like that, it shows a lot of personality," said Juninho.

More big moments followed. Arguably the biggest yet came in a Champions League tie against Barcelona - and Lamine Yamal - just one month later.

It was billed as the battle of the two teenage wonderkids - and for once it was the Spain winger who found himself overshadowed, cast out of the spotlight.

Collecting a pass from Reece James, Estevao cut inside, turned Alejandro Balde inside out and then sent a rasping drive into the roof of the net past goalkeeper Joan Garcia.

But it was so much more than just the goal - Estevao played as if it were nothing more than a children's kickabout.

That lightness comes from his upbringing.

"His father always told him that, to become a professional, he would have to give up a lot of things. His childhood, in the end, took place on the pitch," said Serginho.

"He has always been passionate about playing in a full stadium. For him it has always felt very natural. Why? Because he is happy. He plays with happiness, he plays smiling.

His father's advice was simple: responsibility with joy.

Estevao's talent has been attracting attention since very early on.

"The fence around the pitch would be packed with people just to watch him train. On matchdays, people came from outside the region. Since he was little, he drew a crowd," says Juninho.

Before his move to Chelsea, the academy was even overrun.

"He walked in while we were training and people from outside started coming in, faces I had never seen in my life," added youth team coach Juninho.

"We had to take him into the office and close the door because there were so many people inside."

Read the full story of Estevao's journey to the top

Jonty Colman
BBC Sport journalist

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Cesar Azpilicueta will forever be remembered as an all-time Chelsea great by the club's supporters.

Making over 500 appearances and winning nine major honours in his 11 years at Stamford Bridge, the Spaniard transitioned from being a back-up right-back to one of the club's most successful players - all with the help of a sleep coach.

Dr Vinay Menon was brought to Chelsea by former owner Roman Abramovich and spent nearly 14 years leading a recovery revolution at the club's Cobham training facility.

"Vinay, I will always be grateful for because he was a big part in my career, 100%," Azpilicueta told BBC Sport.

Although the Spaniard was among the main beneficiaries of Menon's work, it was three years prior to his £7m arrival where Indian sleep guru Menon first made his breakthrough.

"When I came into the football world Didier Drogba gave me the chance," Menon said.

"I still remember when we were having lunch, he asked me 'what you do?' and that he wanted to try. After that training, I never looked back. He was always a leader and he's a great guy, he supported me.

"Initially when I was doing it people were thinking: 'is Vinay doing some voodoo or something? People are coming to me and they are sleeping.'"

By the time Azpilicueta arrived from Marseille, fellow Spaniard Juan Mata had already spent a year working with Menon. Joe Cole, John Terry, Frank Lampard and current Blues captain Reece James have all worked with Menon to improve their sleep and mental recovery.

"I used to have regular players who would come, sometimes as a group, but regular one-to-one sessions," Menon explained.

"They played much better with clarity and less injuries."

Read more here

Dale Johnson
Football issues correspondent

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Newcastle United should have been awarded a penalty in their 1-0 win at Chelsea on 14 March, but it did not reach the threshold for a VAR intervention.

The Premier League's Key Match Incidents Panel voted 4:1 that referee Paul Tierney should have pointed to the spot after Reece James held back Malick Thiaw.

However, it unanimously said that the VAR, Michael Salisbury, was right not to step in and tell the referee he had made a clear and obvious error.

The incident happened in the 34th minute with Newcastle already in the lead.

The KMI Panel noted that "James gets caught the wrong side and maintains contact".

It added that while both players were holding, "on balance the action of James was non-footballing and impactful".

Rangers could bank a record fee for Emmanuel Fernandez this summer with the 24-year-old attracting interest from Arsenal, Chelsea, Everton, West Ham United, Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen. (TeamTalk), external

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Helena Calil
BBC Sport

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Having established himself in Palmeiras' first team, Estevao continued to attract attention - now from far beyond the borders of Brazil.

At the end of the 2024 Brazilian league season, after a match against Fluminense, he met Thiago Silva.

Fresh from ending a four-year spell at Chelsea, Silva told BBC Sport about their conversation - and the message he decided to give him.

"The experience of playing for Chelsea and living in London will be unforgettable for me and for my family," he said.

"I told Estevao that the club likes to work with and develop young players and that he could use that to make the most of the opportunity."

Estevao and his family felt the club genuinely wanted him, believed in his potential and were offering a clear pathway for his development - something especially important for a player so young.

"I kept telling him that English football is one of the most competitive there is," said owner of his first youth team Serginho. "Estevao does not back down. I knew he would adapt."

Phelipe Leal, who coached Estevao with Brazil's youth national teams and gave him his first under-17 call-up, agrees: "The natural route is usually Barcelona or Real Madrid. But Chelsea had a clear project based on signing young players.

"It was the perfect match."

In June 2024 Chelsea announced the signing of Estevao - but he would stay in Brazil for another season before making his move.

The year between agreeing that move and completing it was not without its bumps. At the start of 2025, Estevao missed a decisive penalty against Corinthians, Palmeiras' biggest rivals.

The moment hit him hard.

Writing for The Players' Tribune, he revealed that after the game he received a message on Instagram from Neymar, his childhood idol, who told him to keep his confidence, that he would miss many more penalties in his career, that it was part of the game - and that what really matters is how he reacts.

Neymar finished by telling him that he would be "the next genius of Brazil".

Read the full story of Estevao's journey to the top

Chelsea midfielder Moises Caicedo, 24, says he has no intention of leaving the club after the Ecuador international was linked with Real Madrid. (El Chiringuito TV, via Standard), external

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We want you to send in your questions on the Blues for our Chelsea reporter.

Use the link below and we'll put them to Nizaar Kinsella.

Come back to the page on Friday to find his replies.

Get in touch with your question here

Helena Calil
BBC Sport

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One of Estevao's first chapters began on a dirt pitch in the interior of Brazil, about 250 miles (400km) from Sao Paulo.

In the city of Franca, a three-year-old Estevao was already trying to join a local football school.

The problem was that the youngest age group started at five. His father, Ivo Goncalves, asked the owner for a chance - and that was how Sergio Freitas, known as Serginho, gave Estevao the first football opportunity of his life.

Chelsea fans have been saying much the same ever since Estevao, now 18, arrived at Stamford Bridge in the summer.

From the start, Estevao attracted attention - and discomfort.

"Stop being a coward and take Estevao off, it's not fair," rival parents would complain.

"He was far superior to the others. So we took him off so it didn't look bad for the other children. Then we moved him up an age group, under-nine, under-11, and he stood out just the same," said Adair Junior, one of his first coaches and better known as Juninho.

Self-imposed pressure has always been part of who he is. After training, he stayed behind working on fundamentals with his father, a former goalkeeper for a local team.

"Ivo was a goalkeeper, but he always struck the ball really well and demanded the same from Estevao," recalled Serginho.

"And Estevao has always been a perfectionist. They'd hang a bib in the top corner of the goal and tell him he had five shots to knock it down. Until he did, he wouldn't stop, even if we asked him to."

The 'terrao' - essentially a dirt pitch - where he grew up completed his football education.

His tight control was a skill also shaped against the first 'defender' he ever faced - a rottweiler.

"Estevao would play with the ball, the dog tried to get it, and he'd keep dribbling past the dog," said Serginho.

"Try playing with a dog - it'll take the ball off your feet."

Read the full story of Estevao's journey to the top

Will Faulks
Fan writer

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After a fourth defeat in a row, Liam Rosenior said this international break had arrived at a good time for his players. It is easy to see why.

The group look exhausted, bereft of confidence and reeling like a punch drunk boxer. They can't get any worse, so a brief pause can only do them good.

Even the most reliable players in the team are at their limit or beyond it - Reece James and Trevoh Chalobah injured, Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez physically spent, Marc Cucurella and Cole Palmer struggling for anything near their usual influence in games.

The two weeks to take a breath should help, but there are downsides too. The rising wave of criticism of Rosenior reached a frenzy after the capitulation against Everton on Saturday and it now has a fortnight to soak in.

It is a football truism that you want to go into these international windows on a high. Going into them after four damaging defeats with largely terrible performances is the exact opposite.

Following the Everton game, the manager spoke about how he and his staff would be spending the time without games working on analysing what has gone wrong. That is all well and good - the problem is that it feels likely that their conclusions about the problems this team has are going to need solutions far bigger than those they can provide in a short period.

They can't fix the fact they have two bad goalkeepers, no elite central defenders, an exhausted midfield and an erratic attack in a few training sessions next week. Nor can they undo years of misguided squad building. They might think up some tweaks that helps the team improve, but it will likely be too little, too late for Champions League qualification in any case.

A season that started with real promise has quickly turned as sour as any in recent memory.

Find more from Will Faulks at Chelsea News, external

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We asked for your views on whether the international break will help or hinder Chelsea's chances of getting their season back on track after a poor run of form.

Here are some of your comments:

Chris: I feel the break has come at the perfect time for Rosenior. Hopefully he will take the time to decide what is the best XI he can field at present and stick with it to the end of the season, barring injuries, to try to secure a Champions League spot. Not too much tinkering or rotation, let's get a settled side and stop these dreadful performances of late!

Peter: Neither. Only the academy players and those not called up will be available to train. Internationals will be away on duty, the manager has no real opportunity to address the obvious issues and enforce his methods, if he of course knows what they are. Maybe the break will allow the manager to re-watch all the games he has been in charge of and understand that rotating your defence during a 90-minute game, coupled with rotating weekly, brings no stability. If we are going to settle we have to play a settled backline because, even if we lose games, they will finally gel. Your defence is the bedrock of the family.

James: The issues at the club run far deeper than anything an international break can fix. Yes it affords Rosenior time to work with those players not away but it is clear to see that what he is trying to implement just isn't working.

Ste: This international break is arguably the most important fortnight of our season. Rosenior and his backroom team need to nail their plans on how to address our immediate issues - finishing chances more clinically and defending set-pieces. Resolving those problem areas should give us the momentum we need to convert what is actually a promising position (one point off a probable Champions League place and an FA Cup quarter-final) into a decent season.

Keith: He needs to get the defensive problems sorted out quick, that's done with a settled one and not chopping and changing every match.

Pat Nevin
Former footballer and presenter

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I will admit to being spoiled rotten at the weekend. I was co-commentating at the Everton v Chelsea game on radio, but I was also there as a guest in the Everton boardroom pre-match and post-match.

Everton are a very classy club that treats their former players with stunning kindness and respect. Tim Cahill and Yakubu were also at that sumptuous dining table, though they did not have my split loyalties and were both delighted with Everton's rout of Chelsea. We did share our surprise, however, at Chelsea's performance - or lack of!

Last week, I wrote about the lack of experienced leaders in the Chelsea side and this was a comment repeated by just about every ex-player I met. I was down at Stamford Bridge for the 3-0 (8-2 on aggregate) hammering by Paris St-Germain during the week and another bunch of former stars voiced their concerns about the same problem. When there is a lack of team spirit, desire and cohesion, you need leaders.

That may not be the entire problem though - you do not know for sure unless you are in the dressing room. It could simply be exhaustion because of too many games and facing an Everton side who had not faced the European champions during the week, or indeed anyone.

There is the long-term fatigue we all predicted from playing in the Fifa Club World Cup with two tough Premier League seasons either side of it.

Some others did suggest that maybe a few of the players just were not "having" the new manager, Liam Rosenior. David Moyes' Everton certainly fought harder man for man than Liam's Chelsea, but this is little more than guesswork. Could it be just down the catalogue of injured players? That would tie in with overworked theory.

Maybe too many of those young Chelsea players bought at a huge cost and given mightily long contracts are not improving in the way they were expected to. This can, and regularly does, happen in football.

The club's fans and owners will hope and pray that the cause of their problems is not all of the above.

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Chelsea's owners will give their backing to head coach Liam Rosenior even if the club fail to qualify for the Champions League. (Mail+ - subscription required), external

However, Como boss and former Blues midfielder Cesc Fabregas is among Rosenior's potential replacements should the Stamford Bridge club decide to make a managerial change. (Teamtalk), external

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Gary Rose
BBC Sport journalist

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Behind the two Premier League title chasers, Arsenal and Manchester City, is the race to secure European football for next season.

The two clubs with most to mull over after seeing their top-four hopes dealt a blow are Liverpool and Chelsea.

Arne Slot's side have put up a disappointing title defence this term and even their bid to finish in the Champions League places is faltering, having lost two and drawn one of their three games prior to this international break.

Liverpool's defeat by Brighton on Saturday means they will spend the next few weeks sitting fifth, five points behind fourth-placed Aston Villa.

Chelsea, a point further back, are devoid of momentum after four successive losses in all competitions.

Blues boss Liam Rosenior sees this international break as an opportunity to refresh and reset.

"I think the international break has come at a good time for us," Rosenior said after the 3-0 loss to Everton on Saturday.

"Hopefully, the players get a change. Most of them have to fly across the world and represent their countries, but maybe a reset, maybe some time away to regather their thoughts, may refresh the group."

The good news for these two faltering sides is fifth is on course to be enough once again to secure Champions League football for next season.

Blues fans, does the international break come at a good time? And what does Rosenior need to focus on before the run-in?

Get in touch with your views here

Read more on who needs what from the international break

Nizaar Kinsella
Football reporter

Liam Rosenior has overseen a dip in form since beginning to introduce his own tactical methods at Chelsea.

In his first month - when he won seven of his first nine matches - he largely, by his own admission, stuck to former manager Enzo Maresca's gameplan because he had little time to work on the training pitch.

However, after avoiding the Champions League play-offs, Rosenior had time to bring more of his own tactical ideology into the team - and form has subsequently dropped off.

In his first month, Rosenior focused on fixing some of the low-hanging issues, such as ill-discipline, raising the team's intensity and improving concentration.

Yet back-to-back red cards against Burnley and Arsenal followed, Chelsea continue to be outrun in the Premier League, and lapses in concentration have become a weekly gripe from the 41-year-old.

He has also said he needs to rotate his players more effectively to keep them fresh, while facing criticism for not having a clear first‑choice goalkeeper amid a late‑season dip in form by Maresca's former number one Robert Sanchez.

Rosenior told BBC Radio 5 Live: "We will now have more time to analyse instead of jumping from game to game, which we can do with less emotion and sit down as a staff to talk about how we improve."

It is not only Rosenior facing growing criticism, as Chelsea supporters have begun chanting anti‑ownership songs and are planning a second demonstration at the stadium, alongside Strasbourg's ultras, before the match against Manchester United on Saturday, 18 April.

If Rosenior were to fail, it would reflect poorly on the BlueCo leadership at Stamford Bridge, and it is a case of fighting on with success in the FA Cup and qualifying for the Champions League still a possibility.

Read more from Nizaar on Chelsea's recent form

Chelsea's Josh Acheampong is seen as a good fit by Crystal Palace amid suggestions the defender might leave Stamford Bridge this summer. (Football Insider), external

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Former Newcastle goalkeeper Tim Krul, speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily podcast about Chelsea boss Liam Rosenior: "The start was great - of the first 10 games, I think they only lost two and they were against Arsenal.

"The problem when you keep chopping and changing managers is they have different ideas.

"They've got so many players - they've got 30-plus players, [some on] eight-year contracts, and that clearly will have a massive impact on the hierarchy and the respect for managers coming in.

"There are players who are going to be in that changing room who, when things are going bad, are the first to point fingers at the manager or collect in little groups, and they're going to outlast this manager most likely. That's the trouble you've got at Chelsea at the moment.

"If Liam is the guy, you need to make sure he's going to be there for six years and is going to have the respect of that changing room.

"Ultimately, you need performances and results. Losing 3-0 against Everton is not going to give you that confidence.

"I hope he can turn it around and I hope he will get a summer to prove himself. I played with Liam at Brighton, he absolutely loves football, but you need a lot more to be a manager at Chelsea clearly."

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's Premier League between Everton and Chelsea.

Here are some of your comments:

Everton fans

Jack: An excellent team performance, from Jordan Pickford to Beto. Jordan looked unbeatable, the back four were solid, James Garner and Idrissa Gueye were outstanding and always looked in control. I was really pleased for Beto - he always works hard and got his reward this time, ably assisted by our wide players. A good day to be an Evertonian.

Harry: It might be a single result to other teams, but this means so much more to Evertonians. This performance showed the power of our supporters, and the realisation that Hill Dickinson Stadium will soon be a powerhouse. We have had years of discontent but it's had more to do with the ownership than the fans. The real turnaround starts next season.

James: Best performance of the season - thoroughly deserved. Every player at least 9/10 and some were 9.5. We have some momentum now, so who knows.

Greg: Everton looked like the only side that wanted to win. Fantastic all-round performance that really gave the fans something to sing about. The stadium was rocking. Well done to all the players.

Chelsea fans

John: Players who aren't good enough are getting exposed. Wesley Fofana is shocking and Enzo Fernandez is carrying on like he is Mr Chelsea but can't back it up with a performance. Club is rotten from the top down, and I don't see silverware in our future for quite a while. One bright point is Estevao Willian, but can he thrive in such an obviously toxic dressing room?

James: Woeful just about sums it up. It looks like Liam Rosenior is out of his depth and the goalkeeper situation needs urgent attention. I would play Teddy Sharman-Lowe against Port Vale and see what he can do.

Rod: With the present owners and manager, Chelsea will struggle. The owners just do not understand Premier League football and the manager is not up to the job. Too inexperienced - end of story.

Gordon: How long before the owners admit they have got it completely wrong? Recruitment, training, coaching, tactics. Outsmarted by every other manager and outrun by every other team. A complete embarrassment. The "project" is a failure and Chelsea fans are fed up with it.

Manchester United will face competition for Chelsea's 21-year-old Brazil midfielder Andrey Santos with West Ham and Juventus both interested in the player. (CaughtOffside), external

Inter Milan are also monitoring Santos' situation at Stamford Bridge and could move for him in the summer. (Calciomercato - in Italian), external

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Nizaar Kinsella
Football reporter

Former Chelsea winger Pat Nevin told BBC Radio 5 Live that Chelsea are "not getting the best" out of their players at present.

"You need to find out why that's happened," he said. "That can't be allowed to happen in the Premier League."

Rosenior has faced criticism for his level of rotation, with no club having made more changes than Chelsea's 99 in the Premier League from match to match.

That rotation has increased under the 41-year-old, who says he does not have a recognised number one goalkeeper, with Robert Sanchez and Filip Jorgensen in rotation.

Sanchez's form has dipped as a result, with further mistakes against Everton. He was caught in possession early on by Beto but was rescued by defender Jorrel Hato, before allowing a shot from the striker to slip through his fingers in the second half.

There was further criticism for others, including defender Wesley Fofana, while even star attackers Cole Palmer and Joao Pedro struggled to create as Chelsea went goalless for a third consecutive match.

"What I need to do better is make better decisions in terms of team selections, how we freshen up the team and rotate the team to make sure we are competitive in these games," Rosenior told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"Having the international break has probably come at a perfect time for us to gather and restock. We also have some clear weeks to get on the training pitch to work on what we want."

Before large numbers of the travelling Chelsea supporters left Everton's stadium before the full-time whistle, they were singing anti-ownership songs. Rosenior approached the remaining fans to apologise and thank them for their support but some see his appointment as symptomatic of wider problems in the hierarchy.

After home matches against Port Vale in the FA Cup quarter-final and a home match against Manchester City, fans of Chelsea and Strasbourg, who are also owned by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital, will march on Stamford Bridge before the home game with Manchester United (Saturday, 18 April).

"In every area of the game, Everton fought and battled in such a way that has shown Chelsea up," Nevin added.

"Are they not buying into the manager? Is it that they are exhausted after the season they've had? Have they just been beaten on the day?"

Read more on Chelsea's struggles