Chelsea were forced to settle for a frustrating 2-2 draw against Qarabag at the Tofiq Bahramov Stadium in Baku on Wednesday night in the UEFA Champions League.
It was a disappointing outing where several aspects went wrong for Enzo Maresca’s side, further compounded by Romeo Lavia’s injury in the first half.
Since joining from Southampton in the summer of 2023, Lavia’s time at Chelsea has been hampered by injuries, restricting him to just 30 appearances for the club.
The 21-year-old, who has featured seven times in all competitions this season, appeared visibly distressed as he made his way off the pitch after picking up yet another issue.
The Belgian was handed a starting role in midfield alongside Andrey Santos in the Azerbaijani capital, but within the opening five minutes, he pulled up after a defensive duel with eventual goalscorer Leandro Andrade near his own penalty area.
Although he managed to clear the ball, Lavia limped away before collapsing to the ground for treatment, and his frustration was evident as he hurled a bottle while leaving the field.
Maresca opted for caution, introducing Moises Caicedo – who had initially been set to rest for the fixture – as his replacement.
Blow
Speaking in his post-match press conference, Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca provided an update on the extent of his injury and how long he could potentially be out.
He said, ‘Yeah, we feel very ashamed, especially for him, because he’s not able to be fit for a long, long period. We will see now, as it’s too early to understand what kind of injury. Hopefully, it’s not a big injury.’
When asked if it could be the recurrence of his hamstring injury, the manager was quick to dismiss it.
‘No, I think it’s a quad injury.’
Chelsea will conduct scans at their Cobham training ground once the squad has returned home from their flight to London, to determine the extent of Lavia’s injury, but face a nervous wait until then.
Lavia has consistently displayed his quality whenever fit and remains a key figure for Chelsea, yet his limited number of appearances is becoming a significant concern.
With the Belgian midfielder now seemingly facing another spell on the sidelines, Chelsea still possesses depth in midfield – though that depth is gradually thinning.
Dario Essugo is sidelined until January, and Lavia’s absence means Maresca is left with just Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez, and Santos as his recognised central midfielders.