Romeo Lavia has had the worst luck with injuries since joining Chelsea, and he’s been dealt another blow. Chelsea confirmed in a statement on their official website that the 20-year-old would be out for the rest of the season.
Chelsea say Lavia, who picked up a hamstring injury in December, suffered a setback in his recovery. Chelsea had medical assessments, and now they’re just focusing on getting Lavia back ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.
Mauricio Pochettino says his situation is “sad”, but the club will help him get stronger. He revealed how Lavia had issues upon his arrival from Southampton and has barely trained since making the switch.
Lavia has endured the worst debut season
Lavia joined Chelsea from Southampton for £58m last summer and has made only one appearance all season. Big things were expected of the Belgian international, but he’s spent the campaign on the treatment table.
Lavia picked up an ankle injury that kept him out between September and November, missing nine games in all competitions. Then he had fitness issues that saw him left out of matchday squads for nearly two months.
Lavia made his only appearance in Chelsea’s 2-1 win over Crystal Palace on December 27 but picked up a hamstring injury. He’s been out ever since and isn’t expected back before the season comes to a close.
What should Chelsea do about him?
Lavia was a hot prospect at Manchester City and realised some potential at Southampton, so Chelsea rated him highly. The 20-year-old would have been given the chance to fight for a starting place if not for injuries, so he’s gone backwards.
Lavia won’t immediately dethrone Moisés Caicedo, Enzo Fernández and Conor Gallagher when fit, but Chelsea will be patient. The Belgian is a talented midfielder with a bright future ahead of him, so he can still shine at Chelsea.
Pochettino will just need to manage his minutes in pre-season, to ensure there’s no rest of another setback.
