Roméo Lavia
CHEBelgium
Right
Jan 6, 2004
22
5'11"
168 lb
CM
--
Ball-Winning Midfielder
ChelseaMakes bench Saturday
Lavia (quadriceps) played one half of Friday's U21 game against Leeds United as planned and makes the bench for Saturday's clash against Burnley with the senior team.
Analysis: Lavia is on the verge of logging his first senior minutes since early November after a quad injury kept him sidelined for months. The midfielder took a key step in his comeback by playing a planned half in Friday's U21 matchup against Leeds United, building match fitness, and he now makes the bench for Saturday's clash against the Clarets with the senior squad. He could see some minutes off becnh if called upon during the game and once he will be back to full speed, Lavia is expected to re-enter the rotation and provide added depth in the midfield mix for the Blues.
Starts in U21 game
Lavia (quadriceps) is in the starting squad for Friday's U21 game against Leeds United, according to Bobby Vincent from Football London.
Analysis: Lavia slots into the U21 starting XI for Friday's clash against Leeds United as he enters the final stretch of his recovery and continues ramping up his fitness. The midfielder is targeting a return to full first-team training next week and is working his way back to peak condition. If everything stays on track, he could soon provide a real boost and added quality to the Blues midfield before the end of the month.
Set to feature in U21 game
Lavia (quadriceps) is expected to play for the Under-21 squad Friday while he works on his return from injury, Peter Rutzler of Times Sport reports.
Analysis: Lavia has been back in training for over a week now and could be close to rejoining the first team, but will first get some practice with the youth side after being sidelined since November. He may not play a huge role for the remainder of the season but should add depth behind Moises Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez and Andrey Santos at some point.
Back on training pitch
Lavia (quadriceps) is back in training, according to manager Liam Rosenior. "Romeo, we have a really detailed plan for him, and he has been on the training pitch with us in the last two days, which has been great to see."
Analysis: Lavia is still working his way back from an injury, but with a major improvement this week, as the midfielder trained the past two days. This brings the hope that he can finally return soon after a long absence, not playing the past three months. He has only been an option for six games this season, following a brutal trend of injuries since moving to the club.
Close to return
Lavia (quadriceps) is close to a return, according to manager Liam Rosenior. "Romeo is in a really good place, and we just have to make sure this last stage of his rehab is really, really good."
Analysis: Lavia is still battling a quadriceps injury but is on the brink of a return, with the midfielder in the last stages of his rehabilitation. That said, a return appears to be ready any time after the match against West Ham, possibly fit to face Wolves on Feb. 7. He has only played six times all season, with injuries once again hindering his use on the field.
Hoping to train fully soon
Lavia (quad) is hoping to train fully in the coming weeks, according to manager Liam Rosenior. "He has to clear a few more hurdles to train fully, but it's great to see him back with the players today. I know his qualities and I know what he can bring if we can keep him fit. I'm very excited to work with him."
Analysis: Lavia has been out since early November and will likely need at least a full week of full training before being considered an option again for the senior team. He's had a tough couple seasons at Chelsea due to injury, but he still figures to provide depth in the. midfield when needed. Once back, he'll compete with Andrey Santos for minutes in the midfield, mostly behind Moises Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez and Reece James.
Nearing return
Lavia (quadriceps) is nearing a return, according to manager Liam Rosenior. "Romeo is on the way back, which is great because he's a very good, outstanding player at a very high level. I want him back as quickly as possible, of course, but I want him back with no more injuries. We don't want to force him, we want him back where he can get into a flow of repetitive game time."
Analysis: Lavia has not played in over two months, nearing three months as he works his way back from a quadriceps injury. However, the midfielder is training again and on the mend, with a return on the horizon for the midfield. A return should then come in the next week or two, possibly an option when facing West Ham on Jan. 31.
Working on grass
Lavia (quadriceps) is looking good and training individually on grass, coach Liam Rosenior said in the press conference. "Romeo is on the pitch, he's not with the group yet but we can see him out on the grass doing his rehab. He is looking really good. The most important thing for him now is to make sure we don't push him too hard, so that when he does come back, he's back for good."
Analysis: Lavia is still not training with the team but is making good progress in his recovery, as he has resumed individual training on grass. The midfielder is being carefully monitored, as new coach Liam Rosenior appears to rate him highly and wants him fully fit upon his return, with the staff therefore paying close attention to details to avoid any setbacks. Lavia will be a boost to the midfield, although he will likely be a rotational option once fully fit.
Sill in recovery process
Lavia (quadriceps) is still in the recovery process of his injury and not available for the time being, coach Enzo Maresca said in the press conference. "Romeo is still trying to recover."
Analysis: Lavia is still recovering from the quadriceps injury he suffered against Qarabag in the Champions League and will need more time before returning to the squad. The midfielder will likely be aiming a return in the second part of December and resume his backup role to Moises Caicedo in the heart of the game.
Out a month
Lavia is out for at least the next month due to a quadriceps injury, according to Bobby Vincent of Football London.
Analysis: Lavia went down in a midweek match against Qarabag and will now miss further time, as the midfielder is set to miss at least a month. That said, he will be scheduled for a return around the start of December, with his first chance likely coming Dec. 13 against Everton. He was beginning to work into more minutes after injuries limited him to begin the season, a rough development for the Belgian.
Needs to be assessed
Lavia (quad) is in pain and still needs to be assessed to know the extend of his injury, coach Enzo Maresca said in the press conference, according to Football London. "We don't have an update at the moment. We need to wait some hours for all of the checks he needs. At the moment, he is injured. He is in pain - we need to do all the checks."
Analysis: Lavia is not available for the time being since he still has to undergo checks to know the extent of the apparent quadriceps injury he suffered in Wednesday's clash against Qarabag. The midfielder is dealing with pain and will hope to recover during the international break, although it seems unlikely that he will be fit right after the break.
Thought to have quad issue
Lavia (quad) is expected to have suffered a quad injury, manager Enzo Maresca told reporters.
Analysis: Lavia was forced off in the first half of Wednesday's clash with Qarabag and it's now thought that he has a quad injury. Muscular injuries have been a problem for Lavia in his young career and this could be another one. Lavia is likely to be ruled out for Saturday's clash with Wolves.
Forced off early
Lavia was forced off the field in the seventh minute of Wednesday's match against Qarabag due to an apparent injury.
Analysis: Lavia didn't last long in Wednesday's UCL match, with the midfielder coming off the field after suffering a leg injury. This is a brutal development for the midfielder, as he has already missed six games through injury this season and is likely to miss time again. He was replaced by Moises Caicedo, who should continue to start in the midfield after he was given a short break to begin Wednesday's match.
Available on bench
Lavia (strain) is on the bench for Saturday's game against Brighton.
Analysis: Lavia is finally back on the team sheet for the Blues after dealing with a muscular problem for quite some time. That said, the Belgian is nothing but a depth piece in midfield and will be a backup behind the likes of Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo.
Available Saturday
Lavia (strain) is available for Saturday's clash with Brighton, per manager Enzo Maresca."We have Tosin injured and will probably be out until international break. He has a small problem in his calf. Wes Fofana had concussion against Lincoln, and the rest are okay. Romeo and Benoit are better. We will see if they can join us tomorrow."
Analysis: Lavia is good to go and is available to make his season debut. The midfielder has been among a few Chelsea players building fitness in recent weeks and has now gotten the last step done to make a return to the squad. It's unclear what sort of minutes he's fit for, if any, but he should be fit for some role Saturday.
Not available yet
Lavia (strain) trained partially with the team on Sunday but isn't yet available, coach Enzo Maresca said in a press conference, according to Football London. "He is not back yet. He took part in the session yesterday which is good news, but we wait for him."
Analysis: Lavia has missed the beginning of the season due to the injury he suffered against Benfica in the Club World Cup during the summer. The midfielder is however progressing well in his rehabilitation after being spotted training partially with the team on Sunday. That said, he remains unavailable for the time being without a precise timeline to return. Lavia is expected to hold a depth role in the midfield under coach Enzo Maresca, so his absence does not affect the starting XI.
Back training on grass
Lavia (strain) was viewed training on grass Monday, the club announced.
Analysis: Lavia was spotted training on grass on Monday as part of his rehabilitation process from the injury he suffered during the game against Benfica in the Club World Cup during the summer. That said, he will need a few team training sessions before being available for selection, as coach Enzo Maresca said before the international break that he will still need time and they will be cautious with him. Lavia's absence is likely a minor loss for the Blues since he is expected to hold a rotational role in the midfield once fully fit.
Remains battling injury
Lavia (strain) is out for Saturday's match against Fulham and is likely to miss further time after the international break, according to manager Enzo Maresca, per Bobby Vincent of Football London. "Romeo, I don't think he will be back after the international break, but he will be closer. I'm always worried, but with Romeo, because it is a long time out, it is normal he needs time."
Analysis: Lavia will not return against Fulham and appears to be set for even more time on the sidelines moving forward, as the midfielder isn't expected to be fit after the break either. The hope will be that he can then return soon after the break, although it appears he has yet to see advanced training. He still has yet to appear this season, likely set for a rotational role once fit.
Select Player
Search and select a player to compare