How injury prone Chelsea star squeezed out £30m Maresca favourite | OneFootball

Romeo Lavia has given a really interesting interview with the Chelsea official programme for tomorrow’s game against Newcastle.

The midfielder has endured a really tough year with injuries, and made only his second Chelsea start (14 months after arriving) in the game against Liverpool last weekend.

After being rested for the midweek Conference League game, the Belgian looks certain to add a third start tomorrow, and so it was the perfect time for the club to hear a little bit more about the tough times he’s had so far.

“That whole year, it’s not been how I was expecting it to be. But I’m just happy because, without thinking about it, I’ve been at the club for a year so I know more about the culture, I know more about my team-mates, I know about everyone at the club,” Lavia explained.

“So I feel much better going onto the pitch now because I have this confidence that I have people I trust around me, people that I enjoy being with, and that all just makes it easier.”

Romeo Lavia in midfield for Chelsea against Liverpool. (Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC)

Lavia and Maresca a match made in heaven

Lavia knows Enzo Maresca from the academy, which helps his cause. But even if the coach was encountering the midfielder for the first time now, we’re convinced he would be a fan. He just has such a great set of skills which nobody else in this squad really brings. Even Maresca favourite Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall has been squeezed out of the picture by the exceptional Lavia.

Let’s hope tomorrow shows once again that he’s been worth the wait. Maresca is still looking for his ideal midfielder balance, but whatever he opts for, it’s hard to see him breaking up the really effective duo of Lavia alongside Moises Caicedo.