Chelsea have been dealt a significant injury setback ahead of their Premier League showdown with Everton on Sunday. Romeo Lavia, Benoit Badiashile, and Wesley Fofana are all unavailable, complicating manager Enzo Maresca’s preparations for the trip to Goodison Park.

Midfielder Romeo Lavia, who has been instrumental in Chelsea’s strong start to the season, is racing against time to recover from a hamstring issue. The Belgian international missed last weekend’s win over Brentford and is now a major doubt for Sunday’s game.

Speaking after Chelsea’s 5-1 victory over Shamrock Rovers in the Europa Conference League, Maresca provided an update:
“Romeo probably will struggle to play Sunday. We will see. It depends.”

Lavia’s absence would be a blow to Chelsea’s midfield, especially as they aim to maintain momentum and potentially go top of the Premier League table.

Chelsea’s defensive woes continue to mount, with Benoit Badiashile and Wesley Fofana both ruled out for an extended period. Badiashile sustained an injury during training last week, while Fofana has been sidelined since suffering a hamstring injury against Aston Villa earlier this month.

Addressing the situation, Maresca said:
“Both are still out and both will still be out for a long period.”

The Chelsea boss confirmed that neither player will return to action before the end of the year, further depleting his options at the back.

Chelsea head into the Everton clash knowing a win will temporarily take them to the top of the Premier League, with Liverpool set to face Tottenham later in the day. However, the loss of key players like Lavia, Badiashile, and Fofana adds to the challenge as the Blues look to maintain their title push.

Despite the injury setbacks, Maresca remains confident in his squad’s depth and resilience as Chelsea prepare for what promises to be a pivotal match in their season.