Enzo Maresca says Romeo Lavia could play no part in Chelsea’s Premier League clash with Wolves after picking up a hamstring injury.
Lavia, 20, had looked likely to start at Molineux after a bright showing in Chelsea’s 2-0 defeat to reigning champions Manchester City last Sunday.
The Belgium midfielder – who missed the vast majority of last season through injury – also featured in Chelsea’s midweek win over Swiss outfit Servette, replacing Moises Caicedo in the closing stages at Stamford Bridge.
But this afternoon, Lavia has been left out of Enzo Maresca’s squad altogether, with Caicedo, Enzo Fernandes and Cole Palmer starting in the visitors’ engine room behind an attack of Noni Madueke, Mykhailo Mudryk and Nicolas Jackson.
As expected, Raheem Sterling and Ben Chilwell also miss out and it appears the England duo could both be set for the exit door before the summer transfer deadline.
There had been some speculation that Robert Sanchez could be replaced by summer signing Filip Jorgenson in goal after a shaky display against City, but the Spaniard keeps his place between the sticks.
Malo Gusto, Wesley Fofana, Levi Colwill and Marc Cucurella make up the Blues’ defence, which will be targeting a clean sheet against Gary O’Neil’s Wolves side who remain winless after defeat at Arsenal previously.
Asked about Lavia’s absence before kick-off, Maresca confirmed that Lavia was missing with a hamstring issue, the latest setback in a frustrating start to life at Chelsea for the Belgian.
But Maresca played down the severity of the problem and said it was ‘hopefully nothing too serious’.
More to follow.
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