Chelsea star Joao Felix will not feature in their Premier League clash against Manchester City on Saturday after being granted compassionate leave following a family bereavement.
The 25-year-old has returned to Portugal and will therefore miss the game at the Etihad Stadium.
Felix, who joined Chelsea from Atletico Madrid for a £46 million fee last summer, has struggled for consistent playing time this season.
He has made just 12 appearances for the Blues, starting only three Premier League games and a further nine off the bench.
Despite limited minutes, the Portuguese forward has still managed to find the net seven times in all competitions, including four goals in the UEFA Conference League and one in the FA Cup.
Manager Enzo Maresca has acknowledged that Felix faces competition for playing time due to the impressive form of Cole Palmer.
“For sure, Joao is a Chelsea player,” Maresca said. “The problem, unfortunately, for Joao and Christo [Nkunku] is that the manager plays most of the games with one attacking midfielder, and that is Cole Palmer. We have decided to play with an attacking midfielder in most of the games, so this is the reason why Joao and Christo struggle to get minutes.”
When pressed on potential loan or sale options for Felix, Maresca dismissed the speculation, emphasizing that the competition for playing time is the primary factor.
Felix previously spent a season on loan at Chelsea during the 2022-23 campaign, scoring four goals in 20 appearances. He subsequently impressed on loan at Barcelona last season, netting 10 goals in 44 outings.
