Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino has said he’s missing the impact of summer signing Romeo Lavia.

Lavia signed for Chelsea from Southampton last summer in a deal worth an initial £53million, but so far the 20-year-old has only played just 32 minutes of football all campaign thanks to a variety of injuries.

Pochettino claims Lavia has been missed, and also Ledley Ugochukwu who has been ruled out for the season with a hamstring issue.

Pochettino has had to stick with the trio of Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo and Conor Gallagher all the time, because he lacks options to replace them even when they are tired.

“It was to try and provide the team a different way to play and to have an alternative in the way to use,” Pochettino explained in his post-match press conference.

“We needed to provide the midfield the possibility not to cover too much distance. [Conor] Gallagher didn’t start against Leeds because he was very, very tired.

“Because players like Lavia was supposed to be a very good player, and of course Lesley Ugochukwu.

“They are injured and we don’t have the possibility to refresh players that are in a key area. That is why to help them with another centre-back.

“It’s always keeping our ideas going forward, but to try and provide them with more solid and the differences in transition and gives them more freedom and not too much responsibility.”