Chelsea midfielder Romeo Lavia will be sidelined for at least a month with a quadriceps injury. The 21-year-old was forced off after just four minutes of last week’s 2-2 Champions League draw at Qarabag — only his fourth start since returning from an injury suffered at the Club World Cup.
Signed from Southampton for £53m in 2023 after turning down Liverpool, Lavia’s time at Stamford Bridge has been disrupted by frequent fitness issues. He has made 29 appearances for Chelsea but missed 88 matches over two and a half seasons due to hamstring, thigh and other injuries, and has yet to play a full 90 minutes for the club.
Chelsea have managed his minutes carefully, restricting him to one match per week to preserve his fitness — a similar approach that has helped captain Reece James recover. Lavia is expected to miss upcoming fixtures including Burnley, Barcelona, Arsenal, Leeds, Bournemouth and Atalanta. Chelsea sit third in the Premier League after Saturday’s 3-0 win over Wolves.
