Romeo Lavia believes he is finally beginning to show why Chelsea invested so heavily in him, with the midfielder enjoying his most sustained period of fitness since arriving at Stamford Bridge and looking to move beyond the injury problems that have shaped his first years at the club.
The 22-year-old is approaching a personal milestone. If he plays at least 60 minutes against Brentford on Friday, he will pass his previous longest uninterrupted run of 518 minutes without an injury, including pre-season appearances.
That would represent a significant step forward for a player whose Chelsea career has repeatedly been interrupted by physical setbacks.
Lavia finally building momentum
Lavia made just one appearance during his first season at Chelsea after suffering a serious hamstring problem. His second campaign brought further frustration, with the Belgium international missing 33 matches after sitting out 42 the previous year.
His availability improved considerably last season, when he featured in roughly half of Chelsea’s games, and the progress has continued into the current campaign. Lavia completed pre-season without another setback and has remained available through the opening weeks of the season.
Behind that improvement has been a detailed conditioning routine designed to ensure he is physically ready for each match. The midfielder has also had to rebuild confidence after so many interrupted comeback attempts.
Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso played an important role during the summer, encouraging Lavia to move beyond the psychological barriers created by his injury history. Completing 90 minutes against AC Milan in an August friendly became an important marker in that process.
Lavia now believes his difficult spell has taught him how much further players can push themselves, even when repeated setbacks create doubts about whether progress is possible.
Support from team-mates, Chelsea staff and those close to him away from football has also helped him focus on the parts of his recovery he can control.
Bigger role in Chelsea midfield
Lavia is not the only Chelsea player to have endured prolonged injury problems, with Reece James and Wesley Fofana also working through difficult periods. He now hopes to follow them by turning an injury-dominated chapter into a more consistent run of performances.
His role has already grown significantly under Alonso. Lavia has established himself in midfield alongside captain James, who has increasingly been used away from his traditional right-back position.
Chelsea’s squad changes have made Lavia even more important. Moises Caicedo has managed only 14 minutes so far this season, while Enzo Fernandez joined Manchester City for £125m on deadline day.
That has left Lavia with greater responsibility in the centre of the pitch, something he has embraced rather than viewed as an added burden. After years of working to reach this level, he sees the opportunity to play an influential role for Chelsea as something to enjoy.
The midfielder also feels strongly supported inside the squad and by the club, which has continued to back him despite his limited availability during his first two seasons.
Chelsea’s wider rebuild has added further optimism. A modified recruitment strategy has brought more established players into the group, while club-record £117m signing Morgan Rogers arrived from Aston Villa. Rogers and Lavia previously crossed paths in Manchester City’s academy.
Chelsea’s attack has started the campaign strongly, with Rogers combining with Cole Palmer and Joao Pedro as the team scored 18 goals across its first six matches in all competitions.
Lavia believes that attacking quality makes life considerably easier for the midfielders behind them and has been impressed by how quickly Chelsea’s forward players have developed an understanding.
First Chelsea goal brings emotional release
Despite the encouraging start, Lavia is wary of making major conclusions too early. He believes Chelsea have lacked maturity at times in recent seasons and must continue proving they can become the side their talent suggests is possible.
His own progress is being measured in smaller steps.
One of the biggest came when he scored his first Chelsea goal during a 4-3 victory over Brighton. The moment carried extra significance after his Premier League career had begun with a goal against Chelsea while playing for Southampton in 2022.
After watching many of his team-mates find the net during his time at Stamford Bridge, Lavia had been waiting for his own breakthrough.
The goal became more than just another statistic. For a player who has spent much of his Chelsea career working away from the spotlight to recover from injuries, it provided a sense that the long rehabilitation process was finally producing visible rewards.
Now fit, increasingly trusted and taking on a larger role in Alonso’s team, Lavia is focused on ensuring the next stage of his Chelsea career is defined by what he does on the pitch rather than how often he is unavailable.