Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images
Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images
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Photo by Steve Christo - Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images
Photo by Robin Jones/Getty Images
Photo by Robin Jones/Getty Images
Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images
Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images
Chelsea v Morecambe - Emirates FA Cup Third Round
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Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images
Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images
Chelsea’s players are set to return to Cobham over the next couple of days as the international break comes to an end – and one player will be full of confidence after catching Zinedine Zidane’s eye.
Argentina’s 3-0 win over Benin during the early hours of the morning saw the last of Chelsea’s players take to the field, in what was Lionel Messi’s final outing. Emi Martinez started and finished in goal.
Yet to keep a clean sheet for Chelsea, Martinez kept three clean sheets for Argentina while Valentin Barco remained on the bench. But it was a different Chelsea midfielder who impressed Zidane this week.
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Zinedine Zidane applauds Romeo Lavia for a “quality” moment
All Chelsea fans will have watched it by now. Lavia picks the ball up in the middle of his own half and slams a gorgeous, eye-of-the-needle pass into Dodi Lukebakio. The Benfica star did the rest for Belgium.
The assist delighted Belgian fans, and while Zidane’s subs changed the game – scoring four goals in the last 13 minutes – Lavia caught the eye. France manager Zidane applauded Chelsea’s £58m midfielder.
Romeo Lavia, Reece James, Valentin Barco and Jordan Henderson
Romeo Lavia, Reece James, Valentin Barco and Jordan Henderson
“I didn’t watch his individual performance because I was keeping an eye on my own players, but I really liked his pass, yes,” Zidane said during his post-match press conference after France had beaten Belgium.
“I watched it again in the changing room at half-time, during the analysis. He’s a quality player. But he’s not the only one in the Belgian team. There are plenty of them, even amongst those who came on.”
Xabi Alonso has got to start Romeo Lavia against Bournemouth
Lavia had started all four of Chelsea’s first four Premier League matches, despite his inability to complete a full 90 minutes. He got 87 minutes during the loss to France, but he tired towards the end of the match.
But against Brentford, Alonso started Barco and Jordan Henderson. Now, he has a decision to make when Chelsea face Bournemouth on Saturday, with Moises Caicedo also fit after overcoming his calf problem.
However, having just had a great few weeks with Belgium and reeling from the praise of one of the greatest midfielders to have ever played the game in Zidane, Alonso would be a fool not to start Lavia.