Chelsea Manager Liam Rosenior confirms forgotten £18.5m player is “close” to first appearance of the season after Enzo Maresca moved him to U21 team
Liam Rosenior has confirmed that Dario Essugo is edging closer to a return and came very close to featuring in Wednesday night’s clash against Arsenal.
The Portuguese midfielder arrived at Chelsea last summer in an £18.5m deal from Sporting Lisbon and enjoyed a promising debut at the Club World Cup. However, his season was derailed by a thigh injury sustained while on international duty with Portugal’s under-21 team, keeping him sidelined ever since.
Extended absence from injury
After undergoing surgery, Essugo was initially expected to miss around 12 weeks, but his rehabilitation has extended well beyond that timeframe. The 20-year-old was brought in to provide depth behind Moises Caicedo, and with Romeo Lavia also battling persistent fitness issues, Chelsea have found their midfield options severely depleted.
Rosenior explains near-return against Arsenal
Speaking to Chelsea’s official website, Rosenior revealed just how close Essugo came to making his return: “He was very close to coming on against Arsenal. Actually, I called him to come on and I changed because other things had happened in that timeframe.”
The manager elaborated on his last-minute decision to keep the youngster on the bench: “Physically some of the other players were tiring and I felt I needed to keep Enzo [Fernandez] and Andrey [Santos] in the middle of the pitch because Enzo was outstanding, and Andrey in his own way was very good.”
Rosenior emphasized his thoughtful approach to reintegrating Essugo after such a lengthy absence: “Dario’s close. I’m aware of his abilities, I’m aware of his strengths, but I want to give him the best possible moment to show himself in the best way coming back from a long time out because he is a very good player.”
Chelsea eyeing summer midfield reinforcements
While Essugo’s return is imminent, reports suggest that signing a new midfielder remains high on Chelsea’s agenda for the summer transfer window. Despite the youngster’s impending comeback, the Blues are reportedly determined to strengthen their options in the heart of midfield when the market reopens.
