Lavia injury curse continues—and Chelsea fans are probably more surprised when he’s fit than when he’s sidelined. The Belgian midfielder, who was once seen as a crucial part of the club’s future, is now developing an unwanted reputation as the player permanently stuck in the “almost ready” phase.
Lavia’s Fitness Saga: A Never-Ending Loop
If you’ve followed Chelsea this season, you’ve probably read some version of this sentence at least ten times: Romeo Lavia is nearing a return but has suffered another setback. It has become the footballing equivalent of Groundhog Day. Just when fans start getting excited about his comeback, he picks up a “small issue,” and the cycle resets.
Enzo Maresca himself summed it up perfectly in his recent press conference:
“He was doing better in terms of progress, but unfortunately, one or two days ago, he had a small problem, so we will see in the next hours.”
Translation? See you in pre-season, Romeo.
Chelsea’s Midfield Plans: Moving On Without Lavia?
The club took a gamble by not reinforcing the midfield depth last summer, assuming Lavia would be available to slot in alongside Moisés Caicedo and Enzo Fernández. That bet hasn’t paid off. Chelsea’s medical team has probably spent more time with Lavia than his own teammates at this point.
Thankfully, reinforcements are on the way. Dario Essugo is set to arrive, Andrey Santos is likely to return from loan, and Lesley Ugochukwu remains in the squad. The midfield will have plenty of bodies next season, even if Lavia’s injury woes persist.
Can He Finally Put This Nightmare Behind Him?
At just 20 years old, Lavia has time on his side—but that’s only useful if he can actually get on the pitch. Fans will hope his third season at Chelsea isn’t another episode of Romeo Lavia: The Comeback That Never Comes.
At this point, even his physiotherapist is probably shaking their head, muttering, This has to stop one day, right?
Chelsea’s medical team has its work cut out, but for now, all we can do is wait—and hope that this time, this comeback story actually happens.
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