Chelsea have granted Willian permission to return to Brazil to join his wife and two daughters while the squad are not training because of coronavirus.
It is a risk as Chelsea have no guarantees that the midfielder will be able to get back to the UK quickly, but the Blues have said that they considered Willian’s request on compassionate grounds.
There is no timeframe on how long the 31-year-old will stay in Brazil but he will be expected to be back in London before Chelsea return to training on April 6.
The Brazilian winger is one of four Chelsea first-team players - alongside Pedro, Olivier Giroud and Willy Caballero - who are at risk of being out of contract should the season run beyond the June 30 target should it resume.
The club broke their usual policy of only offering one-year deals to those over 30 and presented Willian with a two-year offer.
But, Willian is holding out for a three-year deal if he is to stay at the club, leading to talks to stall.
