Romeo Lavia set to feature for Chelsea Under-21s in return from quadriceps injury

Romeo Lavia is set to play for Chelsea’s development squad in their Premier League 2 clash with Leeds United at Cobham on Friday as he steps up his return from injury.

It will be the first competitive match action of any kind for Lavia in more than three months. The Belgian limped out of Chelsea’s 2-2 draw with Qarabag in the Champions League on November 5 with a quadriceps injury suffered early in the first half.

The problem has lingered but Lavia rejoined full training at Cobham earlier this month, and playing for the development squad is regarded as the logical next step as Chelsea cautiously manage his return from the latest in a litany of injuries.

Lavia joined Chelsea from Southampton in the summer of 2023 for a fee of £53million plus £5m in add-ons, but a variety of physical issues have limited him to 30 appearances across all competitions in the last two-and-a-half years. He is yet to play a full 90 minutes for the club.

Barring any setbacks, Lavia’s exposure to match action with Chelsea’s development squad could pave the way for him to bolster head coach Liam Rosenior’s midfield options as the club attempt to compete on multiple fronts in the final stretch of the season.