Jose Mourinho namechecks Chelsea player who has made surprise impression

Jose Mourinho is impressed by the start Estevao has made at Chelsea.

The former Blues boss was back at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday night in the Champions League, as he took charge of Benfica. Chelsea emerged as 1-0 victors, although Mourinho still received a warm reception from the home fans.

Mourinho spoke of his admiration for the club in various media appearances before and after the match. In a conversation with TNT Sports Brazil (h/t Sport Witness ), he revealed his excitement at the potential of 18-year-old Estevao.

• Cole Palmer's worst-case injury timeline shared in alarming update on Chelsea star
• Chelsea have a solution for striker weakness after £4.25m transfer

“Estevao is a talent,” he said. “People might have thought he would take time to adapt because of his youth, immaturity, and the competition he has at Chelsea, but he arrived, is playing at the highest level and is a player with great potential.”

The youngster came off the bench in the second half against Benfica and was one of Chelsea’s better performers in what was otherwise a disjointed performance.

Estevao joined Chelsea from Palmeiras in the summer having established a reputation as one of the best young talents in Brazilian football.

After making the move, it was not initially clear how much he would feature this season given the amount of attacking options available to head coach Enzo Maresca. But he’s done enough to earn frequent minutes, including four starts in the Premier League.

Chelsea are currently without their star goalscorer and creator Cole Palmer due to a groin problem. It means Estevao could be handed another opportunity against league leaguers Liverpool when they visit Stamford Bridge in the Saturday evening fixture.