"I’ve never had to deal with this kind of situation before" - Manager confirms Chelsea star has picked up injury on international duty

Belgium boss Domenico Tedesco has delivered some bad news for Chelsea fans by revealing that Romeo Lavia has picked up an injury. The midfielder has a hamstring issue and he has been sent back to the club as a result.

Speaking to the media, Tedesco revealed that Lavia picked up a hamstring issue in training with the national team. He didn't make the bench for the clash against Italy last week and was later sent back to his club for rehab. The Belgium boss said (via Metro):

"Some players had problems immediately after the [last] game, and we already knew in the evening that they would not be available. Then there were injuries today like Roméo Lavia. […] Lukaku has a knee problem, he felt it after the game. It was not agreed before that he would leave after a game. [Arthur] Theate and Lavia have hamstring problems.

“It’s not like they’re trying to escape. They really have something. To be honest, I’ve never had to deal with this kind of situation before. I don’t have any injured players anymore and it feels a bit like the season is over. I’ve never experienced this before. Out of a pre-selection of 51 players, 20 were already unavailable before the camp. Now another five are gone. That’s just the way it is. We have to concentrate on the guys we have here now and it’s certain that we’ll have a good team."

The Chelsea midfielder has been dealing with a hamstring injury since last season. He was ruled out from the last few days of December 2023 to June this year, missing 28 matches last season. He had missed another 15 due to an ankle injury earlier in the season.

The midfielder was also out for four matches earlier this season with a hamstring issue.

Romeo Lavia has replaced Enzo Fernandez in Chelsea midfield

Enzo Maresca has recently opted to play Romeo Lavia with Moises Caicedo in the Chelsea midfield. The manager stated the Belgian's physicality pushed him ahead of Enzo Fernandez in the pecking order. He said (via Metro):

"Romeo Lavia and Caicedo give us physicality, strength in the middle. When we play with Enzo, it has to be Enzo and one between Moi and Romeo. When Enzo moves we struggle in the middle with physicality. In this moment, Moi and Romeo give us this."

Chelsea are currently third in the Premier League table and will next face Leicester City upon returning from international duty.