The bad news for Romeo Lavia is that he’s injured; yet again. This marks the 12th injury suffered by the Belgian since he moved over from Southampton in 2023. Lavia missed out on the 6-4 win over Western Sydney Wanderers because he, as manager Xabi Alonso put it, “felt something in his hamstring.”
The good news is that his hamstring injury is not serious, and Chelsea are hopeful he’ll be back against Tottenham on Saturday.
Sydney Super Cup FYIs
Chelsea FC vs Tottenham Hotspur
Kickoff: UK BST- Sat. Aug 1, 10:45 a.m. Australia AEST- Sat. Aug 1, 7.45 p.m.
Where: Accor Stadium, Sydney, Australia
Team News: Chelsea FC Tottenham Hotspur
Starting XI Predictions: Chelsea FC Tottenham Hotspur
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Alonso went on to say that it “was not worth taking a risk” with Lavia, who has only made 21 appearances for the club, since his £58m move three years ago.
Jorrel Hato and Mamadou Sarr also missed out on the preseason opener, but they are not injured; they’re just working on building up match fitness.
They could conceivably feature against Spurs on the weekend.
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Filip Jorgensen also missed the match last night, and it’s because he’s finalizing his exit from the club. The backup goalkeeper is headed to Chelsea’s sister club, Strasbourg.
Elsewhere Danny Welbeck is undergoing his Chelsea medical, ahead of his surprise move from Brighton.
And then finally, Jordan Henderson has been strongly linked with a move to Chelsea, with multiple outlets reporting that a deal could be soon nearing completion.
Henderson, who is now available as a free agent, provided his public farewell to Brentford, but did not mention Chelsea, at all, in his lengthy message. That is probably for the best, as the deal isn’t finalized yet.
Not to mention that Henderson is also recovering from a broken arm, which he sustained at the World Cup while celebrating England’s win at Mexico in the round of 16.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, Ratings and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the Washington Post.