2 hours ago
27
Romeo Lavia's injury troubles continue to plague his career, as he was forced off just 10 minutes into Chelsea's 2-2 draw with Qarabag in the Champions League this week.
The midfielder, who has been sidelined by seven different injuries since his transfer from Southampton over two years ago, was once a key transfer target for Liverpool under Jurgen Klopp.
Liverpool had its offer accepted by the Saints in the same summer, as revealed by their then director of football, Jason Wilcox, at a supporters' forum. However, in the words of the now Manchester United executive: "then Chelsea came to the table."
The Reds subsequently turned their focus to Moises Caicedo, reaching an agreement with Brighton and Hove Albion, only to be outbid again by the West London club. Two years on, Caicedo came on as a substitute in Baku to replace his injured teammate.
Lavia has only managed to make 30 appearances for Chelsea, which is 83 fewer than the Ecuador international who signed just days after him.
The $76 million (£58 million) signing has also never completed a full 90 minutes for the club, something he achieved 14 times during his season at Southampton.
In total, Lavia has missed 77 matches for Chelsea, equating to 502 days, or 71 weeks, or 61.8 per cent of the time since he joined the club.
His hamstrings have mainly been the issue, although an ankle injury was the first setback he encountered. Head coach Enzo Maresca believes the most recent problem is a quad injury.
"We feel very ashamed," the Chelsea manager has confessed. "Especially for him, because he's not able to be fit for a long, long period. We will see now, as it's too early to understand what kind of injury; hopefully, it's not a big injury."
Fortunately for Chelsea, they've been able to rely on Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez whilst he's been sidelined. Andrey Santos' smooth integration into the team, starting alongside Lavia in the match against Qarabag, has also offered crucial depth in midfield.
This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more
Meanwhile, Liverpool brought in Ryan Gravenberch after missing out on the former Belgium international.
Following an underwhelming debut season under Klopp, Arne Slot's appointment saw him secure a place in the PFA Team of the Year and win the Premier League Young Player of the Season award last campaign.
The Reds also bolstered their midfield with the signings of Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, and Wataru Endo during the same transfer window.
Mac Allister joined Gravenberch in receiving Team of the Year honors, while Szoboszlai might well earn recognition this time round after a superb start to the new campaign.
English (US) ·