Roméo Lavia, who has played 32 minutes of competitive football since joining Chelsea for £53m in August, has been ruled out for the rest of the season with a thigh injury.
The update on the Belgium midfielder is the latest in a long line of worrying developments for Mauricio Pochettino, who has had to cope without a number of key players at various points of a testing campaign. Reece James, Chelsea’s captain, has not played since December and Christopher Nkunku, Lesley Ugochukwu, Levi Colwill and Wesley Fofana are also in the treatment room.
Injuries have made it hard for Pochettino to rotate and his options in midfield will be limited by Lavia’s absence. The 20-year-old, who has endured a frustrating campaign since joining from Southampton, has not played since injuring a thigh against Crystal Palace on 27 December. Tests have shown he has had a setback in his recovery.
Lavia had spent four months out with an ankle injury before making a belated debut after Chelsea beat Liverpool to his signature.
Pochettino, whose side host Burnley in the league on Saturday, has had to rely on Conor Gallagher, Enzo Fernández and Moisés Caicedo in midfield. He has been boosted by Carney Chukwuemeka’s return from a knee injury.
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Chelsea have struggled with injuries since being bought two years ago by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital. The owners have overhauled the medical department and are looking for a new head of performance medicine.
