Romeo Lavia is in contention to return to action to feature for Chelsea against Brighton & Hove Albion at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.
Chelsea will aim to continue the recent winning run when they welcome Brighton & Hove Albion to Stamford Bridge on Saturday afternoon. And Enzo Maresca has greeted a positive update on the team news front ahead of his side’s latest fixture.
Romeo Lavia has recovered from his recent thigh injury, and the Belgian midfielder should be in the matchday squad on Saturday. However, Reece James and Omari Kellyman remain on the sidelines due to their hamstring issues.
Maresca confirmed Lavia’s impending return to the matchday squad during his pre-match press conference. However, the Italian tactician did not reveal whether the young midfielder would feature from the get-go against Brighton.
The Chelsea manager said, “Romeo is back available. We will see [whether he can start the game or be one of the substitutes]. We have one more session now and then we will decide. The important thing is he’s back and available, which is very good news. Everyone else is okay to face Brighton, the only one [who will be missing] is Reece. With Reece, he is still out and there is no real update on him at the moment.”
While Lavia will be available to take on Brighton, he will unlikely be ready to return to the starting lineup. So, the Belgian midfielder will be on the bench, with Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo pairing up in the double pivot in the middle of the park.
Malo Gusto will be the only Chelsea player to retain his spot from the starting lineup against Barrow AFC earlier this week in the EFL Cup third round. The French full-back will accompany Wesley Fofana, Levi Colwill, and Marc Cucurella in the backline. Robert Sanchez will return between the sticks after Filip Jorgensen took over in the midweek fixture.
The offensive quartet should also change, with Nicolas Jackson leading the line against Brighton & Hove Albion. Cole Palmer will reprise the no. 10 role, with Noni Madueke and Jadon Sancho being the two wide attackers.
Predicted Chelsea XI: Sanchez; Gusto, Fofana, Colwill, Cucurella; Fernandez, Caicedo; Madueke, Palmer, Sancho; Jackson
