Chelsea are concerned about Sporting star Geovany Quenda losing muscle mass as he continues to work on his recovery.
That’s according to Saturday’s edition of Record, and the Portuguese newspaper covers Chelsea’s role in his rehabilitation.
The 18-year-old is a product of Sporting’s academy and made his way into the first team in 2024. He has been a regular when available for selection and his performances clearly didn’t go unnoticed.
Manchester United reportedly showed interest but Chelsea acted fast to agree terms with Sporting in March 2025. The deal is for Quenda to arrive at Stamford Bridge later this summer.
The Portugal U21 international hasn’t made an appearance since the Lions’ 1-1 draw against Benfica in December. He picked up an injury and underwent surgery to the fifth metatarsal in his right foot.
Chelsea worried about Quenda
Last month, Sport Witness relayed news from Portugal the winger is close to returning to the pitch. Since undergoing surgery in London, he has been working on his recovery at Cobham.
Earlier this week, Sport Witness covered claims Quenda is to return to Sporting on Friday. However, that didn’t happen and Record now cover the latest on his situation.
According to the newspaper, the youngster’s return has been delayed until this month’s international break.
Why Blues delay winger’s return
Quenda has been under the Premier League side’s supervision since the surgery. Liam Rosenior’s side want to avoid any risks of the player suffering another setback during the recovery process.
Record state: ‘The imperative meticulousness of the recovery, associated with the delicate area in question, meant he lost some muscle mass in those three months.’
The west London club are of the belief he can regain the muscle mass in two weeks by doing specific work. This allows him to immediately feature for Sporting, once he returns to the Portuguese club.
O Jogo are also reporting Quenda’s return to Sporting will be delayed until the upcoming international break. The Blues want to monitor him closely until he leaves the English capital.
Our take: Chelsea doing right thing
The Stamford Bridge club have paid €50m to secure his signature and the player won’t arrive until next season.
Therefore, it makes perfect sense for Chelsea to focus only on his full recovery rather than rushing him back quickly.
This allows Quenda to enjoy regular minutes towards the end of the season, which would benefit Chelsea for the start of next season.