Paul Merson criticises Xabi Alonso for not starting Estevao against Sunderland

Paul Merson criticised Xabi Alonso’s decision not to start Estevao Willian in Chelsea’s defeat by Sunderland on Sunday, saying the manager had shown his opponents too much respect. The Brazilian came on after the break in place of Levi Colwill, but Chelsea could not change the result and lost 1-0.

Writing in his Sky Sports column, Merson said Estevao had been one of Chelsea’s standout players in their 2-0 win over Manchester United eight days earlier, and that the team missed his ability to carry the ball forward against Sunderland. He felt Alonso should have started with the same line-up that played against United, rather than taking a more cautious approach.

The source said Alonso had started Estevao only once in the Premier League this season, prompting speculation about the player’s future before the talk subsided after his appearance against Manchester United. Carlo Ancelotti also included the player in Brazil’s squad for friendlies against Japan and Singapore, and said he would continue to monitor his form even if he did not get minutes for Chelsea.

Brazil are due to play their second friendly in Singapore on November 17, and the source noted that the return journey to London takes around 15 hours, which could affect Estevao’s preparations for Chelsea’s match against Leeds United on November 21.