Romeo Lavia’s path to full recovery continued as he engaged in gym sessions at Chelsea’s Cobham training ground on Thursday. The £58 million signing has made only one appearance for the club this season, featuring for 32 minutes against Crystal Palace in December. Lavia faced an extended recovery period after joining Stamford Bridge in August, with a setback during his brief on-field stint over the festive period.
Despite his progress, Mauricio Pochettino has confirmed that the Belgian midfielder will not be part of the lineup for the upcoming Carabao Cup final this weekend, as reported by the Mirror. Although Lavia did not participate in the rainy training session at Cobham with his teammates, the 20-year-old was spotted diligently working out in the club gym.
There are speculations that Lavia might make his return as early as the first week of March, but Chelsea remains cautious, considering the challenges he has faced this season.
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In addition to Lavia, Chelsea may have to navigate the final without eight players, including Carney Chukwuemeka, Thiago Silva, Benoit Badiashile, Marc Cucurella, Wesley Fofana, Reece James, and Lesley Ugochukwu. While there is speculation about Silva potentially rejoining the squad, his participation remains uncertain as he has not been seen in training sessions yet. On a positive note, goalkeeper Robert Sanchez has returned to training this week.
Liverpool, too, is grappling with an injury crisis, with Jurgen Klopp managing the absence of 11 first-team players, including Diogo Jota, Alisson, and Trent Alexander-Arnold, during their recent victory against Luton Town. Darwin Nunez and Mo Salah’s injuries are under daily monitoring, leaving their involvement in the upcoming weekend uncertain.