Why Facundo Buonanotte is drifting out of Chelsea’s plans

Enzo Maresca discusses Facundo Buonanotte’s absence from the lineup

Buonanotte wasn’t in the squad again for the Leeds match, leaving many wondering what more he needs to do to get some playing time.

The Chelsea manager’s answer didn’t offer much hope for the Argentine. Speaking before the Bournemouth match, he said: “Facu [Buonanotte] is working well. He played some games at the beginning for many reasons, because Cole [Palmer] was injured, because Liam [Delap] was injured, so we had more space for him.

“But in this moment, we have all the players back. The game against Leeds, Wes was not even in the squad, Ty [George] was not even in the squad, Facu was not even in the squad. So there is not any reason why it’s just because we have already players in his position, but they are back.”

Maresca’s explanation makes sense on paper but highlights how far down Buonanotte has fallen in the team hierarchy. He seems firmly out of favour.

If there was ever an opportunity for him to see more action, it appears to have come and gone.

Buonanotte’s opportunities may have already come and gone

It’s a shame because Buonanotte is an exciting talent with heaps of ability. He’s been in the Premier League setup since he was 17, and even though Leicester struggled last season, Buonanotte managed to stand out at times.

Cole Palmer being back fit only makes things tougher. Buonanotte now has more players ahead of him, not fewer.

Even when Palmer wasn’t available, Maresca turned to players like Enzo Fernandez and Joao Pedro instead of giving the loanee a chance. Buonanotte never seemed to be seriously considered.

Chelsea went out of their way to bring him in this season, but it’s hard to see how he’ll break through from here.