Chelsea dealt blow as 2 key midfielders set to be sidelined after picking up injuries: Reports
Chelsea have been dealt with a huge blow as two key members of Enzo Maresca's midfield are set to be sidelined due to injuries, as per a report in The Athletic.
On one hand, there is Enzo Fernandez, who will be out for two weeks. On the other hand, Belgian midfielder Romeo Lavia is reported to be out for a longer tenure than Fernandez.
Chelsea took on Wolves yesterday (January 21) in the Premier League, but both Enzo and Lavia missed the clash due to muscular injuries they suffered in the game against Bournemouth last week. While Fernandez played the entire game, Lavia was taken off in the 56th minute.
The aforementioned report added that Maresca is now waiting for further test results to get a clue on how long the duo would exactly need to get back to training.
Fernandez's absence will be felt more by Chelsea since he was a regular in the side and only missed one Premier League game this season - against Bournemouth in September (illness).
However, Lavia's situation is much more intense. Last season, after joining Chelsea from Southampton, Lavia clocked only 32 minutes under Mauricio Pochettino. He spent the rest of the season on the sidelines tackling hamstring and ankle injuries.
In his second season at Chelsea, Lavia got more game time. Maresca utilized his services on 12 occasions, including nine starts. However, he is yet to register a full game in Chelsea colors. However, with new injuries, Lavia will again miss a crucial part of Chelsea's upcoming games.
How do Chelsea encounter the current injury situation?
Chelsea are not in dire straits after Enzo Fernandez and Romeo Lavia are sidelined. However, they need to take drastic steps to fill the void left by the duo's absence. As per Daily Telegraph journalist Matt Law, Chelsea might consider a late call on bringing back either Andrey Santos or Lesley Ugochukwu from their respective loan deals.
Ugochukwu is currently plying his trade for Southampton. He has made 12 appearances for Southampton in the Premier League and can be a stopgap solution for Maresca. On the other hand, Santos is enjoying a good run at RC Strasbourg. He has already clocked more than 1500 minutes this season across 17 appearances in Ligue 1 for the French outfit.
