Chelsea signing Estevao vomits on pitch and stretchered off after scoring for Palmeiras | OneFootball

Brazilian winger struggles with ‘surreal’ altitude in Bolivia as he reassures fans over injury concerns

Short-lived celebration: Estevao Willian left the pitch on a stretcher not long after scoring for Palmeiras in La Paz

REUTERS

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Summer Chelsea signing Estevao Willian was sick on the pitch and had to be stretchered off after scoring during a match in South America.

Estevao again played a key role for Abel Ferreira’s side, scoring just before half-time at the Estadio Hernando Siles to put them ahead 2-0 in a match they would later go on to win 3-2.

However, the teenager struggled badly with the significant altitude at a stadium that sits almost 12,000 feet above sea level and a few minutes later dropped to his knees and vomited on the pitch, according to reports from Reuters.

Estevao - whose replacement Mauricio scored the winning goal with 17 minutes to go after a spirited fightback from the hosts - then left the field on a stretcher and reportedly later received medication on the bench in a bid to alleviate his symptoms that had initially begun in the first half.

"It took me a while to get used to it and unfortunately I couldn't continue," the teenager told Paramount+ of the altitude afterwards.

"At half-time I was already feeling a bit unwell, it's the first time I've been to this altitude, it took me a little while to get used to it and, unfortunately, I couldn't continue, but I was able to count on my team-mates and come out with the victory."

Estevao quickly allayed any concerns over a potential injury after needing a stretcher, adding: “No [no muscle issues or injuries], it was just the altitude. It's surreal here.”

Chelsea fans will be relieved to hear that Estevao has not suffered any injury as he prepares to join the club this summer after a transfer sealed last June for an initial fee of around £29million that could rise to as much as £55m with future add-ons.

Estevao, who already has four senior international caps for Brazil to his name before turning 18, is poised to head to Stamford Bridge after this summer’s revamped Club World Cup in the United States, where he is expected to compete for Palmeiras.

This week, a player hailed as a “genius” and the future of Brazilian football by the likes of legendary compatriot Neymar revealed his reasons for joining Chelsea in an article penned for the Players’ Tribune, with his agent Andre Cury having also revealed in recent days that he received interest in his client from the likes of Bayern Munich, Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain.

“Those people don’t know about the project they presented to us. To a young player, these things matter a lot, and I know we’ve made the right decision to go to London.”