Injured: Romeo Lavia
Chelsea Football Newsletter
Enzo Maresca is still waiting to learn the extent of Romeo Lavia's injury ahead of Saturday's game with Wolves.
Lavia was substituted just eight minutes into Chelsea’s 2-2 draw with Qarabag in the Champions League on Wednesday with a quadracep issue.
The 21-year-old midfielder missed the majority of last season through injury, playing just 16 league games, and has also struggled to stay fit this season.
Lavia has been eased back into action, with Maresca admitting before Chelsea’s trip to Qarabag that he was still some way from full fitness.
This latest blow comes at a time when Lavia was starting to build some momentum and confidence in his body, and Maresca confirmed he would not feature against Wolves.
"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," Maresca said in his pre-match press conference.
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"[Lavia’s injury record is] a shame. It's a shame in this moment because we were trying to minimise minutes for him but even with that, he's injured again. We need to insist until we find the right solution."
Pedro Neto will be assessed after missing out against Qarabag as Maresca looks to manage the winger's minutes.
Maresca continued: "Pedro had a session with the physio yesterday on the pitch, it was good. Today he will train with us, and we will make the final decision."
It’s hoped that Cole Palmer and Benoit Badiashile will be back after the international break, while Dario Essugo is expected back around the new year.
Levi Colwill remains a long-term absentee following a serious knee injury suffered on the eve of the new season.