Maresca confirms Lavia ready to start against Liverpool
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has confirmed that Belgian midfielder Romeo Lavia is ready to start against Liverpool on Saturday.
If Lavia starts, it would be just his second appearance of the season.
The 21-year-old has endured a difficult spell at Stamford Bridge since joining from Southampton in 2023, with persistent injuries limiting his impact.
After missing the opening seven games of the current campaign, Lavia returned last weekend in the 3-1 defeat to Brighton, coming off the bench for the final minutes.
Maresca confident in Lavia’s readiness
Speaking during Friday’s pre-match press conference, Maresca revealed that Chelsea’s medical team had carefully managed Lavia’s recovery in line with the approach taken for Reece James and Wesley Fofana.
“Romeo is ready to play,” Maresca said. “We’re trying to do with him what we did with Wes and Reece. The goal is to get him into a condition where he can play consistently.
“You can see now that Reece is playing more games without issues, and hopefully, Romeo will follow the same path.”
The Italian tactician added that Fofana remains unavailable due to concussion protocol following his clash against Lincoln City, while Trevoh Chalobah will miss out through suspension after being sent off against Brighton.
Chelsea face defensive crisis ahead of Liverpool clash
Chelsea’s defensive options are stretched thin, with Tosin Adarabioyo, Levi Colwill, and Fofana all ruled out through injury.
This leaves Maresca with only Benoit Badiashile, Josh Acheampong, and Jorrel Hato as fit centre-backs, forcing him to make his sixth different central defensive pairing in just ten games.
“It’s difficult,” Maresca admitted. “When you can keep the same backline, the understanding improves. But when you constantly change, it becomes harder, not only against Liverpool but against every opponent. Still, we trust the players we have.”
Chelsea will hope Lavia’s long-awaited return can add stability in midfield as they host defending champions Liverpool in a crucial Premier League encounter at Stamford Bridge.
