"We will see what is going on" - Mauricio Pochettino provides Romeo Lavia fitness update ahead of Chelsea vs Luton Town

Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino has confirmed that Romeo Lavia has suffered an injury issue ahead of their clash against Luton Town on Saturday, December 30.

The Blues travel to Kenilworth Road on Saturday in the Premier League, hoping to build on their 2-1 win over Crystal Palace on Wednesday. Lavia made his first appearance for the club against Palace, having suffered from an ankle injury since arriving in the summer.

The midfielder came on as a substitute in the 58th minute and completed the game but appears to have picked up an issue during the game. In a pre-match press conference, ahead of the Luton clash, Chelsea manager Pochettino provided an update on Lavia, saying (via Football.London):

"He feels something, some issue. We need to check and hope it’s not [bad]. I'm a little bit worried. I don't know, because if you were watching the game [against Crystal Palace] you cannot appreciate I was changing the position with Lavia at the end because he was struggling to run. We will see what is going on.

"Hopefully it is not a big issue and he can play with us again. Important player that will recover and it is going to be a shame if we cannot use him in the next few games."

Chelsea signed Lavia for a reported fee of £58 million from Southampton in the summer, beating Liverpool to his signature.

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Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino looking to end the year with a win

The Blues have had an abysmal 2023 calendar year. They finished 12th in the Premier League last season and have started this season poorly under Mauricio Pochettino as well.

Chelsea are 10th in the standings after 19 games, with seven wins, eight defeats, and four draws. They have, however, reached the EFL Cup semi-finals where they will face Middlesbrough over two legs.

Ahead of the Luton clash on Saturday, Mauricio Pochettino spoke about wanting to end 2023 on a high and start fresh next year, saying:

"Yes, of course – that is our objective; to be consistent and yes after the last six games at home, were good to build this run. And to finish the year with a result would be very nice. And then, because in this season we are struggling a bit with teams like Luton, and of course that is a big challenge.

"For me, I am happy to go and play there because it is good for our young team, a good experience. Now we know if we want to win, we need to fight and give our best and to of course play football in the way that we know to play."

Luton Town could be a tricky clash for Chelsea and the newly-promoted side have won their last two games, beating Newcastle United and Sheffield United.