Romeo Lavia: Chelsea star hit with new injury as four pre-season absences explained

According to a report by Evening Standard on Tuesday July 28, 2026, Chelsea midfielder Romeo Lavia has suffered another hamstring problem, ruling him out of the club’s first pre-season friendly against Western Sydney Wanderers.

Lavia was not involved as Chelsea secured a 6-4 victory in a topsy-turvy encounter in Australia, with new manager Xabi Alonso confirming that the Belgian had felt discomfort in his hamstring.

The 22-year-old was left out of the matchday squad as a precaution, with Alonso revealing that Lavia “felt something in his hamstring” and that the club decided it “was not worth taking a risk.”

Chelsea will hope the issue is only minor and that Lavia can return for their next pre-season fixture against Tottenham. However, given his history of injury problems, the club are unlikely to rush him back.

Lavia joined Chelsea from Southampton in 2023 but has endured a difficult spell at Stamford Bridge due to persistent fitness issues. The midfielder is yet to complete a full 90-minute match for the club and made only 21 appearances in all competitions last season.

His latest hamstring problem is therefore another frustrating setback as he attempts to establish himself under Alonso.

Lavia’s fitness could be particularly important to Chelsea’s plans this season, with the midfielder regarded as a player capable of providing defensive security and helping the team control possession from midfield.

For now, Chelsea will take a cautious approach and assess his condition before deciding whether he can feature against Tottenham.

without any reported new injury concerns, although the condition of the pitch was a source of concern.

The game was played on a patchy surface that had hosted three rugby league matches over the weekend, but Chelsea did not suffer any further injury setbacks.

For Alonso, the priority now will be to carefully manage his squad as preparations for the new season continue.

The biggest concern remains Lavia, whose latest hamstring issue adds to a growing list of fitness problems since his arrival at Chelsea. While the club hope he will recover quickly, his injury record means Chelsea are likely to handle his return with caution.