"Unfortunately he's not ready" - Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca rules out key midfielder from Boxing Day clash against Fulham due to injury

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has confirmed that Romeo Lavia will miss their Boxing Day clash against Fulham. The midfielder is recovering well from his injury but isn't fully ready for action yet.

Lavia, who couldn't make even a single appearance in his debut season (2023-24) for the Blues, has struggled with injuries again this season. He's made just 10 appearances across competitions, providing one assist. He featured in their 4-3 win over rivals Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League on December 8.

However, Lavia was subbed off at half time and as per Maresca, he isn't ready for action yet. In his pre-match press conference before the Fulham clash, the Italian said (via Absolute Chelsea):

"Romeo is still recovering. He's much, much better. He's already working on the pitch but unfortunately he's not ready [for Fulham]. [It's] the same situation [for the others]."

While Lavia has shown glimpses of his brilliance this season, his recurring injury issues will be a concern for the west London side. Captain Enzo Fernandes and Moises Caicedo are likely to remain the midfield duo against Fulham at Stamford Bridge on Boxing Day.

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Enzo Maresca opens up on Chelsea's failure to score against Everton

The Blues played out a goalless draw against Everton at Goodison Park in the Premier League on Sunday. They had 12 attempts with five being on target while the Toffees had five attempts with four being on target. It was Everton's second goalless draw in a row, having held Arsenal in their previous game.

In his pre-Fulham press conference, Enzo Maresca was asked if Chelsea's inability to score against Everton was down to inexperience. He answered (via SI.com):

“It’s not experience for me. Sometimes you score goals and sometimes you miss. It doesn’t go with experience. Sometimes you’re clinical and sometimes you miss. I said before and after the game that in the last 10 Premier League games Everton had seven clean sheets. That shows how difficult it is to create chances against them.

"When you create chances and score the game changes. We had three or four clear chances first half we could have scored and changed the game. At the end we could also concede. I was very happy with our performance, the way the team was defending and the togetherness we showed."

Chelsea second in the list of top-scoring teams in the Premier League this season with 37 goals, two behind Tottenham. They have, however, missed 40 big chances (as per Fotmob), just one less than Liverpool.