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Xabi Alonso has delivered a ruthless verdict on Chelsea’s squad depth by pushing one of the club’s costliest young prospects out of first-team duties. The Spaniard, who has had a mixed beginning to life at Stamford Bridge, made it clear that some players will need to seek opportunities elsewhere for game time as he fine-tunes his tactical project in west London.

Paez left out at Stamford Bridge

The Blues take on Leeds United in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday evening as they look to respond to Sunday’s 2-1 Premier League defeat to Arsenal. Although the midweek cup match would normally offer a good chance for rotation, teenage talent Kendry Paez will not be involved. Alonso has decisively ruled out the 19-year-old after the Ecuador international returned from a loan spell at River Plate last month.

Even though BlueCo tried to arrange an English loan move for the £17.3m midfielder before the September 1 deadline, no agreement was completed. Paez, who formally joined Chelsea last summer after a pre-agreement was reached in 2023, spent the previous season at Strasbourg and is still awaiting his competitive debut for the London side.

Alonso closes the door on Ecuadorian prodigy

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, the 44-year-old manager was direct when discussing Paez’s short-term future in west London. "No, no. He is not part of the plans," Alonso said bluntly. "At the moment, he is not part of the first team squad."

By contrast, Alonso was quick to praise another teenage winger. Brazilian attacker Estevao has seen his minutes reduced under the new regime compared to his involvement under former head coaches Enzo Maresca and Liam Rosenior, which had led to speculation over a possible January departure. However, the Spaniard firmly rejected that suggestion.

"No, Este is ready; he's training well," Alonso explained. "He had a very good impact [against Arsenal]; he has a great chance. So he's fully involved and has a very good attitude every day."

A story of two wonderkids

While Paez has found himself completely sidelined, Estevao is steadily earning the trust of the new manager. The 19-year-old started in the previous Carabao Cup round, a 2-0 victory over Luton Town, and also made a late appearance against Arsenal at the Emirates. Alonso is eager to reward that commitment and bring him further into the project.

"The players that have the desire and the hunger to prove and to show every day that they are up for the challenge, it's what we want to create here in the building," Alonso added. "And Este is part of it. So he has had a very good attitude, very good mentality to prepare every game and to be ready for the team."

Crunch time in the Carabao Cup

Chelsea will host Leeds United looking to move ahead in the cup and add to a league start that included early wins over Fulham and Brighton. Estevao is in a strong position to feature on the right flank, either from the start or as an impact substitute.

At the same time, the short-term picture looks grim for Paez. With the English transfer window now shut, he must either remain on the sidelines until January or seal a temporary switch to a league where the deadline is still open, with Brazil, Mexico and Greece currently representing his only realistic escape options.