Chelsea midfielder Romeo Lavia has returned to full training after missing the last couple of weeks through injury (h/t football.london).
The 21-year-old was spotted at the club’s Cobham training ground this morning and has been working closely with the medical and coaching staff as he ramps up his recovery.
Lavia has barely kicked a ball for Chelsea since joining from Southampton in 2023, with many people suggesting the Blues may have to cut their losses on him.
He has struggled to fend off niggling injury problems and hasn’t played for Chelsea since making an appearance against Arsenal before the recent international break.
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca later confirmed that the Belgian had suffered another setback, which kept him out of crucial fixtures against Tottenham Hotspur, Brentford and Ipswich Town.
Despite returning to training, Lavia isn’t in Chelsea’s Europa Conference League squad for Thursday night’s quarter-final second-leg tie against Legia Warsaw.
The Blues welcome the Polish powerhouse to Stamford Bridge with a commanding 3-0 lead, so it’ll take the mother of all capitulations for them to exit the competition at this stage.
Lavia will not feature in Europe this week, but barring any more unforeseen setbacks, he is in contention for this weekend’s Premier League visit to Fulham.
His return would offer Maresca a timely midfield boost as the club prepares to play the final six league games of the season.
Since moving from Southampton two years ago, Lavia has played just 14 games for the Blues, racking up less than 650 minutes of playing time.
Chelsea are hopeful they can finally enjoy a sustained run from the highly-rated youngster, who has shown glimpses of his undeniable talent when fit.
Maresca has been understandably cautious in managing Lavia’s fitness.
The Italian previously highlighted that while this season has shown improvement compared to Lavia’s first year at the club, he’s focused on gradually reintegrating him to avoid further setbacks.
With the Europa Conference League quarter-final firmly in Chelsea’s grasp, all eyes now turn to the Fulham fixture, where fans may get another look at the young midfielder.
