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Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has urged summer signing Facundo Buonanotte to remain patient amid his recent lack of first team opportunities.

The Brighton youngster joined the Blues on loan in the summer after he impressed at Leicester last season.

Chelsea paid the south coast club £2million for his services but he has hardly been used in recent weeks.

Indeed, the 20-year-old hasn’t made a single appearance since Chelsea’s 2-2 draw against Qarabag on November 5 and he hasn’t featured in the Premier League since September.

With the likes of Cole Palmer back to full fitness, the young Argentinean’s chances will be restricted even further but Maresca hinted he still sees the gifted forward as an important member of his squad.

‘Facu is working well,’ he said ahead of Saturday’s game at Bournemouth. ‘He played many games at the beginning because Cole was injured, Liam was injured, so we had more space for him.

‘There is not any reason, the reason why is because we have players in this position that are back.’

Maresca, meanwhile, reiterated his commitment to managing the development of teenage wonderkid Estevao after he had to be taken off at half-time during Wednesday’s 3-1 loss to Leeds.

Defeat at Elland Road came after Maresca made five changes to his lineup but the 18-year-old was amongst those to keep his place after impressing in the remarkable win over Barcelona and the draw with Arsenal.

He was yellow-carded towards the end of the first half for what appeared to be a deliberate foul on Gabriel Gudmundsson, and with signs of frustration apparent he did not re-emerge after the interval.

After the game, Maresca suggested it had been a matter of “welcome to the Premier League” for the youngster, who joined in the summer from Palmeiras and who was mostly used a substitute during the first three months of the season.

However, with excitement building around his evident talent, as well as Maresca’s need for a creative spark in the recent absence of Cole Palmer, it has been increasingly difficult to leave out the Brazilian.

“My feeling was not that Leeds targeted him,” said Maresca. “My feeling after the game was they targeted all of our players.

“My comment about him was that he is 18, he is from Brazil, probably didn’t know where we were going to play. Probably the English players, they know Leeds and how it is.

“Leeds, Newcastle, Liverpool; they are all stadiums that are a bit different in terms of environment.

“With (Estevao), the situation to put him always on the pitch – play, play, play – sometimes we need to manage him a little bit.”