Enzo Maresca has confirmed that Chelsea remain uncertain about when Romeo Lavia will recover from his quad injury.
The Belgian midfielder has been sidelined since being forced off early in last month’s 2-2 Champions League draw with Qarabag.
Now in his third full season with the Blues, Lavia has yet to complete a full 90 minutes for the club. A string of minor injuries has repeatedly interrupted his development, and his latest problem now has an official diagnosis.
Since arriving from Southampton in August 2023, the Belgian international has faced a challenging period, missing 78 games due to various fitness issues.
Across two and a half seasons at Stamford Bridge, he has appeared in just 29 matches while missing 88, struggling to build consistency.
A mix of hamstring, thigh, and other unspecified injuries has limited his availability, prompting the club to carefully manage his schedule and restrict him to one match per week.
Speaking in his pre-Bournemouth presser at Cobham on Friday, Maresca said he was uncertain about the extent of the Belgian’s injury.
‘It’s a muscle problem,’ Maresca reiterated on Friday morning. ‘We don’t know yet when he can be back.’
When asked if Lavia’s absence would be brief or prolonged, Maresca admitted, ‘We don’t know.’
Lavia remains sidelined
On a positive note, he also confirmed that Chelsea avoided any new injuries from their difficult trip to Leeds on Wednesday. The Italian had made five changes to his starting XI from the Arsenal draw, but the team delivered one of their poorest displays of the season, losing 3-1.
Enzo Maresca will hope his side bounces back from the disappointing 3-1 defeat to Leeds United to record their first Premier League win in three games when they travel to the Vitality Stadium to face Bournemouth on Saturday.
Despite their loss to Leeds, the Blues maintain one of the league’s strongest away records ahead of their weekend trip to the south coast, having collected 13 points on the road compared to 11 at Stamford Bridge.
Notably, Chelsea are unbeaten in their last four away games against Bournemouth (W2 D2), including a 1-0 victory during their most recent visit to the South Coast in September 2024.
