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Chelsea fans have shared their excitement after coach Enzo Maresca named Belgian midfielder Romeo Lavia in the starting XI to face Everton. The Blues are set to face the Toffees in Saturday's early kickoff, as they look to build on an encouraging display and win over Fulham from last week.
Maresca revealed in his press conference on Friday that Lavia has been available for some weeks but will be managed in order to have him fit for the remainder of the season. The Italian tactician has now opted to hand the 21-year-old a start at the base of the midfield in place of captain Reece James, who has been rested.
Romeo Lavia is a key player for Chelsea when fit, but his struggles with injuries have severely limited his impact since his £58 million move from Southampton in 2023. The midfielder is making his first start since December for the Blues as they aim to claim another important win in their pursuit of UEFA Champions League football.
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Chelsea fans were joyous at his inclusion in the XI, and a number of them have taken to X to share their thoughts. A fan was pleased to see the trio of Lavia, Enzo Fernandez, and Moises Caicedo start in midfield.
"LCE start! I'm alive man😭🔥💙", they wrote.
Another fan celebrated the return of Lavia to the XI.
"Lavia is back 😭", they posted.
A fan revealed their excitement at watching all three of the Blues' expensive midfielders start together.
"Enzo, Caicedo and Lavia all starting together?? Yeah let’s COOK!!!", they posted.
A fan pleaded with the midfielder not to pick up an injury in the game.
"Romeo please don't get injured", they wrote.
A fan broke down the thinking of the coach in choosing to start Lavia ahead of captain James against Everton.
"Good lineup. Lavia back is huge for us. James bench surprising but he been a bit struggling when he inverts to midfield or go inside + against Everton you probably need extra midfielder than defender. Nice to have him, Sancho & Tyrique off bench tho if things go wrong. #UTC #CFC", they posted.
Romeo Lavia was an unused substitute for Chelsea in their 2-1 win over Fulham last time out. He makes his first appearance since a brief cameo against Arsenal in March, and only his 12th league appearance of the season for the Blues.
Nkunku returns for Chelsea against Everton
Chelsea forward Christopher Nkunku has been included in the squad for Chelsea as they are set to face Everton in their league meeting at Stamford Bridge. The Frenchman was absent from the squad as the Blues defeated Fulham in their West London derby last Sunday.
Blues boss Enzo Maresca revealed that he left the 27-year-old out as part of a technical decision, as he opted to have Tyrique George in the squad. The 19-year-old came off the bench to score the equaliser, justifying his inclusion in the squad.
Nkunku starts on the bench for the Blues while Nicolas Jackson leads the line and Pedro Neto plays off the left. The former RB Leipzig man will be hopeful of getting meaningful minutes to make an impact and possibly add to his three league goals this term.
