Everything Enzo Maresca said about Romeo Lavia after yet another Chelsea injury blow
Enzo Maresca’s worst nightmare has come to life after Chelsea’s Romeo Lavia was forced off with a new injury against Qarabag.
Lavia’s season has been haunted by injuries so far, meaning the 21-year-old has started just one Premier League game, completing 45 minutes against Nottingham Forest before being substituted at half-time.
Of course, Moises Caicedo continues to shine for Chelsea, and with Enzo Fernandez next to him in midfield, it is difficult for the Man City academy product to break into the lineup anyway.
Given that the injury-prone midfielder cost the Blues close to £60million in the summer of 2023, supporters are only becoming more frustrated by his absences and are now facing deja vu.
Romeo Lavia could be sidelined for
After just eight minutes against Qarabag in the Champions League on Wednesday, 5 November, Maresca was forced to replace Lavia with Caicedo, with the Belgian pulling up with yet another injury.
Estevao has been a shining light for Chelsea, and it did not take long for the 18-year-old to open the scoring, just eight minutes after the midfielder’s exit. Lavia’s injury left a dark cloud, however.
Speaking after the game, the Chelsea boss said: “It’s a shame for him. He is not able to be fit for a long period, so we will see. It is too early to understand what kind of injury [it is].
“We hope it is not a big injury, I think it is a quad,” and that may fill some supporters with hope, given that it is unlikely to be his hamstring once again.
How many games has Lavia missed since joining Chelsea?
It was just days ago that Maresca was talking about managing Lavia’s minutes in order to avoid any injury setbacks, but that appears to have completely backfired for the Premier League giants.
Liverpool were also interested in Lavia, and while the player still has a lot of potential, the Reds will be thanking their lucky stars that no money was spent on such an injury-ridden transfer.
Since joining the Blues, the 21-year-old has missed a total of 77 games for the club, as per Transfermarkt, mainly due to hamstring injuries that have been plaguing him over the seasons.
More and more fans are willing to admit that £58million might have been a waste of money, but if he can overcome these difficult moments and come back stronger, Chelsea have a talented player on their hands.