Chelsea unsure when injury-plagued Lavia will return

Chelsea are unsure when Romeo Lavia will return from his latest injury.

The midfielder, 21, has been plagued by injury problems since being signed from Southampton during the summer of 2023.

He has started just 12 league matches for Chelsea and has been sidelined for the past month with a thigh problem.

Lavia suffered the injury during the Champions League game against Qarabag and went off after eight minutes.

“He has a muscle problem and we don’t know when he will come back,” said head coach Enzo Maresca.

Asked if the injury is a long-term one, Maresca admitted: “We don’t know.”

Maresca was speaking on the eve of his side’s game against Bournemouth, when they will be looking to bounce back after the midweek 3-1 defeat against Leeds.

The Blues were poor at Elland Road, especially in the first half, and Maresca expects to see a major improvement this weekend.

“Bournemouth will be a similar game to Leeds – that is why we need to be better,” he warned.

“Leeds was very intense and they were better than us in all the aspects. Hopefully we can learn from that and be better tomorrow.”

Chelsea will again be without the suspended Moises Caicedo, who was badly missed at Leeds.