Chelsea fans have voiced their frustration following the team’s 1-1 draw against Crystal Palace, with many calling for the immediate recall of Brazilian midfielder Andrey Santos from his loan spell at Strasbourg.
Santos, who joined Chelsea from Vasco da Gama in January 2023, has been excelling in Ligue 1, but he is yet to make an appearance for Chelsea this season.
The Blues are experiencing a rough patch, securing only two points from their last four Premier League games.
Their midfield has come under particular scrutiny, with many supporters believing that Santos could provide the energy and creativity the team is currently lacking.
Fans took to social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to express their concerns and push for Santos’ return to Stamford Bridge.
One fan wrote: “For the 200th time. Recall Andrey Santos. Imagine if we could’ve brought Andrey on today, or in any of our last 4 games.
Caicedo and Enzo are getting run into the ground & as much as I love Lavia, we can’t trust his fitness. Too good to be on loan AND we need him.”
Another commented: “Absolutely, this team needs either Romeo Lavia or Andrey Santos to be starting. That error from Palmer could’ve been easily avoided.”
Other fans shared similar sentiments, emphasizing the urgent need for reinforcements in the midfield.
One supporter posted: “I would love to let Andrey Santos see out his loan but realistically we need him now.
We’re in a slump and our midfield is tired. If we don’t get fresh legs in there, we will be run through by every team.”
Beyond Santos’ absence, fans also highlighted broader squad issues, including the lack of a reliable striker and the overreliance on key players like Enzo Fernández and Moisés Caicedo.
One fan stated: “Recall Andrey Santos in January, man, our midfield is DEAD.”
Another warned: “If we don’t bring back Andrey Santos then we are really not serious because what happens if something happens to Enzo or Caicedo?”
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca reflected on the draw, suggesting his side performed well enough to secure a win but failed to make their chances count.
He said: “We probably did enough to win the game today.
Between the first half and the second half, we probably created enough chances to win the game. But in football, you need to be clinical otherwise the game is always open.”
Despite sitting in fourth place in the Premier League with 36 points from 20 matches, the team’s recent struggles and mounting pressure from fans suggest that changes, such as recalling Santos, might be necessary to reinvigorate their midfield and improve their overall form.
