Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca has delivered a worrying update ahead of Friday’s Club World Cup quarter-final against Palmeiras, revealing that Romeo Lavia is struggling to be fit.
The Blues beat Benfica 4-1 in the last 16 in a crazy game, which was delayed for two hours due to adverse weather conditions.
The West Londoners will be hoping for a more straightforward task when they come up against the Brazilian outfit and future player Estevao Willian.
Nicolas Jackson returns in attack after a two-game suspension following his red card against Flamengo in the group stage.
However, Chelsea have potentially been dealt another blow, after Maresca revealed he’s unsure if Lavia will be fit.
“Romeo, we are not sure he can be fit, we will try tomorrow,” he told his pre-match press conference.
“He had small problems at the end of the last game against Benfica. It is just muscular problems and tomorrow we will see if he is fit – Moi is suspended also – so we need to find solutions.”
Chelsea head into the last-eight showdown with the Brazilian giants bidding to move closer to what would be a lucrative triumph in the United States.
Estevao Willian’s situation is a significant sub-plot ahead of the game in Philadelphia as the 18-year-old faces Chelsea prior to his £51.5m transfer to Stamford Bridge.
While Maresca was quizzed on that scenario at his pre-match press conference, the Italian also suggested that Chelsea would be missing another key player.
Enzo Maresca’s team will be without the suspended Moises Caicedo,with the midfielder serving a one-match suspension, which is a huge blow, but the Blues have options and could bring Dario Essugo in.
The hope had been that Lavia could partner Enzo Fernandez or an alternative in the engine room, but it appears that the Belgium international will be absent.
Despite accumulating 216 minutes across four outings at the Club World Cup, Lavia has still only made 23 appearances for Chelsea since signing from Southampton in 2023.
The majority of Chelsea fans will want to see a first competitive start for Andrey Santos, but the Brazilian has only made one substitute outing in this tournament.
Furthermore, Maresca has previously indicated that he views Santos as someone with the same qualities as Fernandez, making it unlikely that they will feature as a midfield two.
Reece James could move into the engine room to partner Fernandez with Malo Gusto or Trevoh Chalobah deputising at right-back.
There is also the potential of Dario Essugo starting in central midfield with Maresca having already admitted that he has taken a liking to the former Sporting Lisbon youngster.
Recall, Softfootball had previously reported that Tottenham and Newcastle has joined race for Chelsea’s Josh Acheampong amid transfer uncertainty.
Josh Acheampong has been the subject of transfer speculation, but in a twist, the young defender recently signed a contract extension. Despite that, Softfootball has gathered that Chelsea are open to selling the 19-year-old if a favourable offer comes in.
Acheampong is a player highly appreciated by Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca. He made 13 appearances last season, coming through the ranks at Cobham Academy.
Chelsea, however, are well-stocked in the right-back department, with Reece James and Malo Gusto ahead of him in the pecking order. This depth is one of the reasons the Blues might be open to a sale. Another key factor is that offloading a homegrown player would greatly benefit Chelsea’s PSR (Profit and Sustainability Rules) compliance.
