Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso believes midfielder Romeo Lavia has finally overcome his injury struggles. The Belgian impressed in the 2-0 victory over Manchester United.
After a series of injuries since his transfer from Southampton, the 22-year-old has firmly established himself in the starting lineup. Last week, he played the full 90 minutes against Liverpool in the EFL Cup and replicated that achievement three days later in the league. Alonso praised Lavia’s mindset and physical condition.
We know that Romeo feels better, feels stronger, feels more confident to get more minutes and more load. He transitioned from playing a full match at Anfield to energising the team against Manchester United in just under 72 hours.
Sometimes the head is more important than the legs, and right now his head is in a good place. It was a top performance. I have seen Romeo in excellent form over the last three weeks. His play as a midfielder was very complete. He did so many good things, and I’m happy for him. He deserves immense praise. He did everything right. He consistently linked defence with the attacking players, was able to switch play, made so many right decisions, was very dynamic and competitive. Not just in this game, but in the last two to three weeks he has been playing at a very high level, and I’m very pleased for him.
This win helped Chelsea move back into the Champions League spots following painful defeats to Tottenham and Liverpool. Lavia also commented on his progress.
This was a very important game and a significant victory. I think the team effort was outstanding. Everyone, from the starting players to those who came on as substitutes, was involved, and I think this is a good statement about what’s ahead for us. I like to say that my job is to make it easier for the players in front of me and around me. So, I’m glad I could do that and help the team secure a good victory. I feel very comfortable. As I’ve always said, there’s a lot of work put in during the weeks at the training ground that goes unnoticed. So, I’m very happy that it’s paying off, and I hope it continues to do so.
