Chelsea’s ongoing struggle with injuries continues as one of their latest midfield signing, Romeo Lavia picked up a knock in the training session at Cobham on Friday. Reportedly, the teenager has suffered an ankle injury, however, the club has not officially announced the news to the fans, and the extent of the injury is still uncertain.
This summer, the Blues completed the acquisition of Romeo Lavia from Southampton in a £58 million deal, securing his signature on a long-term contract for seven years. Besides, Liverpool had expressed interest in bringing the 19-year-old to Anfield; however, Lavia chose Stamford Bridge as his preferred destination for the summer.
BREAKING: Romeo Lavia has just got injured in a Chelsea training session. It could be a muscle tear at the ankle. [@sachatavolieri] pic.twitter.com/DpZOplR10H
— CFC-Blues (@CFCBlues_com) September 8, 2023
In 2020, Romeo Lavia became a part of Manchester City before later signing a five-year contract with Southampton. During his time there, he played in 34 matches. Unfortunately, Southampton faced relegation in the previous season. Lately, he has joined Stamford Bridge, but has not yet had the opportunity to make his debut for the Blues. This is primarily due to his lack of match fitness and insufficient game time to fully regain his physical condition. Now, additional injury concerns have further postponed his debut.
Before their matchday 4 fixture against Nottingham Forest, manager Mauricio Pochettino stated, “The player needs to prioritize the development of his match fitness before stepping onto the field.” He also suggested that Lavia would need several weeks to acclimate to the team’s tactics and regain match fitness.
Since the Premier League is on a halt due to the international break and the clubs being off from competition, Lavia was diligently working under Pochettino’s guidance to rebuild his match fitness. He was eager to make his return to action once the international break concluded. However, his plans have been thwarted by an ankle injury.
In May 2020, Todd Boehly took ownership of the Blues and since then the club have splashed billions in the market for the past couple of seasons, but the table tells a different story, and yet the club is struggling to get the desired results. Last season, Chelsea finished in 12th place in the league table, without any continental football for the current season, and they secured just 44 points. This point total is the club’s lowest since 1992, and they also had a negative goal difference of -9 for the first time since the 1995 season.
This summer, they have been quite active in bolstering their squad with new arrivals such as Cole Palmer, Moises Caicedo, Christopher Nkuku, Axel Desasi, and Nicholas Jackson.
Additionally, the club have offloaded a significant number of players this season as part of a complete revamp, including big names like Kai Havertz, Mason Mount, Mateo Kovacic, Kalidou Koulibaly, Christian Pulisic, N’Golo Kante, Edouard Mendy and Cesar Azpilicueta name of few.
Chelsea is going through an injury crisis
The list of sidelined players for Chelsea is already quite lengthy, and another name, Romeo Lavia, has been added to it, dealing yet another blow to Mauricio Pochettino, who took charge at the beginning of the summer.
Chelsea’s recent misfortune with injuries, especially concerning new signings, is a cause for concern. The list of ruled-out players includes captain Reece James, Christopher Nkunku, Carney Chukwuemeka, Armando Broja, and Wesley Fofana. The addition of Romeo Lavia to the list of ruled-out players is the last thing fans wanted
The season so far for the Blues
Chelsea currently occupies the 12th position this season with four points, having faced a couple of losses, one win, and a tie. Before the international break, on matchday 4, Chelsea suffered a 1-0 defeat against Forrest. When the Premier League resumes next week, the Blues will take on Bournemouth on next Sunday.
The new manager is still working to determine his best starting eleven, amidst significant recruitment, setbacks, injury concerns, and a major squad revamp. It will take some time for the team to gel together and consistently produce results. Despite substantial spending and the acquisition of promising talents, the results tell a different story.
Now, the question arises: Can Chelsea bounce back and turn their fortunes around after the international break, or will it be the same story? How long will fans have to wait to see their latest recruits in action?
