Romeo Lavia injury: Chelsea absences and Spurs play hope
Romeo Lavia missed Chelsea's pre-season opener with minor hamstring discomfort, Xabi Alonso confirmed, though the club hopes the midfielder will be fit for the Spurs play on Saturday in Sydney. Three other Blues—Filip Jorgensen, Jorrel Hato and Mamadou Sarr—were also absent for separate reasons.
Chelsea opened pre-season with a 6-4 friendly win over Western Sydney Wanderers at Accor Stadium, giving minutes to some 22 players. Lavia was not among them after feeling something in his hamstring. Coverage of the latest celebrity breaking news has centred on whether Alonso will risk him against Tottenham.
Key Takeaways
- Lavia sat out Chelsea's 6-4 pre-season win after minor hamstring discomfort.
- Alonso called it "not a big thing" and hopes he is fit for Saturday's Tottenham clash.
- The Belgian is yet to complete a full 90 minutes for Chelsea since his 2023 move.
- Jorgensen, Hato and Sarr also missed the Wanderers game for non-hamstring reasons.
Why did Romeo Lavia miss Chelsea's pre-season opener?
Alonso confirmed after the match that Lavia "felt something in his hamstring" and that it "was not worth taking a risk." According to the London Evening Standard, the same recurring problem that limited him last season has resurfaced early in Alonso's tenure.
talkSPORT reported the issue as the 22-year-old's 12th injury since joining Chelsea from Southampton in a £58million deal. Persistent hamstring trouble held him to just 21 appearances in all competitions last season, and he has still never played a full 90 minutes in Blues colours.
Will Lavia be ready for the Spurs play on Saturday?
Chelsea hope he can return in time to face Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday, also in Sydney. Alonso said: "Not a big thing. We are expecting him to be fit for Saturday, hopefully."
Even so, his injury record may push the club to treat him cautiously through the rest of pre-season. It remains unclear whether he will feature against Spurs, or if medical staff will keep him under wraps.
Who else missed the Western Sydney Wanderers match?
Four first-team absences were explained after the Accor Stadium friendly. Goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen was on a flight back to Europe to complete a transfer to Chelsea's sister club Strasbourg.
Defenders Jorrel Hato and Mamadou Sarr were left out because they were deemed short of match fitness and played no part. Chelsea otherwise reported no fresh injury issues from the contest, despite a patchy pitch that had hosted three rugby league matches over the weekend.
What does this mean for Alonso's midfield plans?
Lavia had recently said in a Chelsea diary entry that he felt good and had worked hard to start pre-season strongly under the new manager. Missing Alonso's first game underlines how fragile that fitness remains.
For now the message is cautious optimism: a minor hamstring niggle, not a major setback, with Saturday's Spurs play the first realistic return target—if Chelsea decide the risk is worth taking.