We need him”, “That error from Palmer could’ve been easily avoided” – Chelsea fans urge club to recall player out on loan after Crystal Palace draw

Chelsea fans have expressed frustration after their team’s 1-1 draw against Crystal Palace, calling for the club to recall Andrey Santos from his loan spell at Strasbourg. The young Brazilian midfielder, signed from Vasco da Gama in January 2023, has impressed in Ligue 1 but has yet to feature for Chelsea this season.

The Blues have struggled recently, managing only two points from their last four Premier League matches, and their midfield has been a particular point of criticism. Following the draw, many fans took to X (formerly Twitter) to voice their belief that Santos could provide the fresh legs and creativity Chelsea desperately needs.

Here are some fan reactions:

– *”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.”*

– *”Absolutely, this team needs either Romeo Lavia or Andrey Santos to be starting. That error from Palmer could’ve been easily avoided.”*

– *”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.”*

Some fans also criticized Chelsea’s other squad issues, highlighting the lack of a clinical striker and overreliance on specific players:

– *”Recall Andrey Santos in January, man, our midfield is DEAD.”*

– *”If we don’t bring back Andrey Santos then we are really not serious because what happens if something happens to Enzo or Caicedo?”*

Meanwhile, Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca reflected on the result, stating that his side did enough to win the game but failed to capitalize on their chances:

*”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.”*

Chelsea remains in fourth place in the Premier League table with 36 points from 20 matches. However, the growing discontent among fans suggests that changes, such as recalling Santos, may be necessary to strengthen their midfield and improve their form.