Injury Crisis Deepens for Chelsea Ahead of Wolves Test
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has been dealt another significant injury setback ahead of his side's Premier League trip to face Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux this weekend. The Blues, who are now unbeaten in their last three matches after coming from behind to draw with Qarabag in the Champions League in midweek, saw midfielder Romeo Lavia limp off after just five minutes of action.
Midfield Blow for Blues
The problem for Romeo Lavia represents a fresh and cruel blow for the 21-year-old, whose career at Stamford Bridge has been persistently disrupted by fitness issues since his arrival. He is now expected to be unavailable for the match against Wolves and will undergo scans in the UK to determine the full extent of the injury, suspected to be a quad issue.
Speaking after the match, a sympathetic Maresca stated, "We feel a shame for him, especially for him. He's not able to be fit for a long, long period. We will see now. It's too early to understand what kind of injury."
Lavia joins a substantial list of confirmed absentees for Chelsea. Cole Palmer remains a longer-term absentee with a potential return pencilled in for December, while defender Benoit Badiashile is also ruled out until next month. In a major blow to the backline, Levi Colwill is expected to miss the majority of the season with an ACL problem, and Dario Essugo is also sidelined.
Wolves' Selection Headaches Under Interim Boss
The hosts, now under the interim management of James Collins following the sacking of Vitor Pereira, have their own selection concerns. Wolves, who currently sit rock bottom of the Premier League table, will be without Emmanuel Agbadou after he received a red card in the 3-0 defeat to Fulham.
Furthermore, the club is sweating on the fitness of two players. Both Matt Doherty and Rodrigo Gomes are considered doubts after picking up problems during the Carabao Cup defeat to Chelsea last week. Their former manager, Vitor Pereira, had labelled the situation as "bad news" at the time. Leon Chiwome continues as a long-term absentee with a knee injury.
This fixture presents a potential challenge for Chelsea, with the change in leadership at Wolves often sparking an initial positive reaction from a team desperate for points.
