Chelsea boss Liam Rosenior.placeholder image
Chelsea boss Liam Rosenior.
Liam Rosenior has not been able to deploy the £53 million man since he arrived at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea are hoping to receive a huge injury boost in time for the tricky trip to league leaders Arsenal next weekend with Romeo Lavia close to a return to first team action.
The 22-year-old hasn’t featured for Chelsea since being forced off in a 2-2 draw away at Qarabag in the Champions League on November 5. That calf injury is just the latest setback that the former Southampton man has had since arriving at Stamford Bridge in August 2023 for £53 million.
Lavia was handed minutes for the Chelsea under-21 side on Friday in a huge step towards full fitness, having been in full team training over the past two weeks. It’s not expected that the midfielder will be involved against Burnley this weekend but the trip to Arsenal at the start of March is thought to be a possibility.
Andrey Santos has impressed alongside Moises Caicedo in the defensive midfield roles in recent weeks, with Enzo Fernandez handed more freedom in an attacking role. The return of Lavia will give Rosenior another option to solidify in the centre of the park ahead of the tricky trip to the Emirates Stadium.
Romeo Lavia puts in confident performance for Chelsea under-21s
Lavia has played just 30 times across all competitions for Chelsea since arriving at the club two and a half years ago and is yet to complete a full 90 minutes. The Chelsea Chronicle had eyes on the under-21 match and reported: “With Chelsea fans desperate to see how Lavia would look back in action, they will be pleased to know he put in a confident, assured performance in the middle of the park.
“While he rarely got involved in any of the attacking play, he showed confidence whenever in possession, not ever giving away the ball. It was clear how much trust there was from the young players in Lavia. Frequently he was given the ball under pressure, and he dealt with it well every time.”
In other news, Chelsea man emerges as 'top target' for Premier League club ahead of the summer.
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