McFarlane delivered a mixed injury update ahead of Chelsea’s FA Cup semi-final against Leeds United at Wembley Stadium on Sunday.
The interim head coach in April confirmed in that winger Estevao Willian will miss the remainder of the season due to a hamstring injury sustained against Manchester United.
McFarlane took charge of media duties on Friday afternoon following his appointment as interim head coach after the departure of Liam Rosenior during the week.
The club faces Leeds United, the same side they defeated in 1970 to lift the FA Cup for the first time in their history, at the national stadium.
Speaking at Cobham, McFarlane said: “Estevao unfortunately won’t play for us this season. He will be out for a little bit of time.”
He added: “We’re not sure how long he will be out for but he certainly won’t play for us again this season, unfortunately.”
McFarlane expressed sympathy for the young Brazilian, noting the particular difficulty of the setback given his age and ability.
“That’s really unfortunate for him, especially for someone so young and talented as he is but we are here to support him and be around him,” the interim boss said.
On a more positive note, McFarlane confirmed that both Joao Pedro and Cole Palmer trained on Friday and are being assessed ahead of Sunday’s match.
“With Joao and Cole, they both trained today and are in a good place,” he said, noting the squad would train again on Saturday before a final decision is made.
McFarlane remained cautiously optimistic about both players’ prospects of featuring, stressing that the club would not rush them back before they were ready.
“We hope so [they can be involved], but it’s important we give them time. We are going to train tomorrow, they will both be involved and we will make a call on them after that session,” he concluded.