In June 2023, Chelsea agreed a deal with Independiente del Valle for Kendry Páez to arrive at Stamford Bridge last summer.
The Club World Cup winners sent the attacking midfielder on loan to RC Strasbourg in July 2025. He made only four starts in the Ligue 1, and his limited role didn’t please the Blues.
Páez scored only one goal from 718 minutes from 21 matches in all competitions for the French club.
Chelsea cut short his loan stay Strasbourg and immediately sent him on loan to River Plate in January.
Blues’ surprise recall clause
Last week, Sport Witness covered a claim from Argentina about a ‘surprise clause’ for Chelsea. This allows Liam Rosenior’s side to cut short his loan stay in the summer if Páez plays less than 50% of the matches for River Plate.
A fitness concern forced the Chelsea man to miss the first two matches for the Argentine club. He made his debut by coming off the bench in their defeat to Argentinos Juniors on February 12th.
Páez again came off the bench in River Plate’s 1-0 loss to Vélez Sarsfield at the weekend. He had to leave the pitch after 25 minutes due to a should injury and Bolavip provide the latest.
Injury setback for Chelsea man
The 18-year-old appeared to be in pain when going off the pitch with an injury. This raised concerns, especially at the national team ahead of the World Cup.
Bolavip have found out the Chelsea man has a ‘minor shoulder injury’. This should keep him on the sidelines for at least two to three weeks, which comes as a relief for both River Plate and Ecuador.
The Argentine club have had a few injury setbacks off late and Páez is now added to the list.
Studio Futbol also report the youngster should be out of action for two to four weeks. This is a relief for Páez as serious injury has been ruled out.
The outlet state: ‘The two-to-four-week timeframe will be key in determining whether he will only miss local matches or also more demanding games on the schedule. Everything will depend on how his shoulder responds in the first days of rehabilitation.’