“Lavia’s not playing” – Ex-Chelsea winger makes strange statement about Enzo Maresca’s Conference League team | OneFootball

Joe Cole is in Poland ahead of Chelsea’s Conference League final against Real Betis tomorrow, and he spoke exclusively to Football.London about the game.

The most interesting comments he had were on the team that Enzo Maresca will pick. The coach has made it clear that he will use Filip Jorgensen in goal, but apart from that it’s not quite clear how many of the Conference League regulars will get dumped for players in Maresca’s usual strongest XI.

Former Blues winger Cole says Maresca will change things up

Romeo Lavia arrives at Craven Cottage. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

Cole is convinced the coach will play a stronger side than he has in the previous rounds:

“I think they’ve got to, he’s got to play a stronger side,” Cole said.

“And that might mean Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall playing. Because you’re going to need somebody who’s a little bit… I think he’s been fantastic, first of all, through this competition. It might mean he starts this game because he’s right for this game. Because you’re going to have to… [Romeo] Lavia’s not playing, first and foremost.”

“So Enzo [Fernandez] and [Moises] Caicedo, they’re going to be probably number one and number two. You don’t know whether he’s going to play Caicedo at right-back. Reece James has been playing in midfield. He’s just got to play stronger side, whoever that may be.”

Lavia logic from Cole not quite clear

It’s a little curious – why does Cole think Lavia won’t be playing? After he didn’t play at the weekend, the Belgian would be one of our first names on the team sheet for this game.

Is JC getting confused, or does he know something we don’t? We will find out tomorrow evening.

We do think that KDH could play, but we’re not quite sure how Maresca will configure that.