The recent Chelsea signing, Romeo Lavia, is facing a setback in his debut for the club.
The young Belgian midfielder, who joined Chelsea after a bidding war with Liverpool for £58 million from Southampton, may be sidelined for at least six weeks due to a suspected ankle ligament injury sustained during training during the international break.
Lavia was keen to prove his fitness to Chelsea’s manager, Mauricio Pochettino, during the break, but he had to cut short his training session after twisting his ankle at Cobham.
Although the club has not officially confirmed the extent of his injury, an initial scan suggested possible ligament damage.
Romeo Lavia yet to make his Chelsea debut
As a result of this unfortunate diagnosis, it is unlikely that the 19-year-old midfielder will make his Chelsea debut until October, as per Daily Mail.
Lavia had been present at Stamford Bridge for Chelsea’s recent matches against Luton and Nottingham Forest, but Pochettino had previously indicated that he needed more time to reach the required fitness level.
“Lavia no [not ready to start],”
Pochettino said before Chelsea’s win over Luton.
“He needs a few weeks to be ready to be involved with the team. He is working to try and catch his team-mates. For Romeo we need to wait a few weeks.”
Pochettino expressed his admiration for Lavia’s qualities and suitability for Chelsea’s project when the midfielder was signed, highlighting his excitement to have him in the squad.
“I think we all know him, his quality, his profile. He’s the perfect player for this project,”
Pochettino said after Lavia was announced as a Chelsea player.
“We are excited and so happy to add him in the squad.”
This injury adds to Chelsea’s existing fitness concerns this season, as they have already lost key players like Reece James, Christopher Nkunku, and Carney Chukwuemeka to injuries, while Wesley Fofana, Armando Broja, and Benoit Badiashile have been dealing with long-term absences.
Pochettino will have to wait to integrate Lavia into his midfield alongside Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo, who together represent a significant investment for Chelsea.
If all the 3 played together, that would be a midfield close to £300M, which is exactly half of the amount Liverpool have spent in this transfer window for their midfield rebuild.
Liverpool is my Religion and Anfield is my Church. 17th May 1996 the date I had my blood coloured red. The one you love the most you can not live without it and that is football to me.
