Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has revealed the worrying reason behind his decision to replace Romeo Lavia during Sunday's 4-3 win over derby rivals Tottenham, as the midfielder posted an update on his condition on social media.
Maresca celebrated a magical comeback win over Spurs, with Cole Palmer scoring twice in the London derby win to move the Blues within four points of Premier League leaders Liverpool.
However, Chelsea's celebrations were soured somewhat by Lavia's forced removal from the match when the midfielder was hooked by Maresca at half-time.
The 20-year-old is fast becoming a concrete starter in a team that continues their surprise title challenge and was a constant threat during a frenetic first half against Spurs before being substituted at the break.
During a physical encounter during the opening 45 minutes, Lavia was elbowed in the back of the head by Spurs goalscorer Dejan Kulusevski in a moment of madness that could have resulted in a red card.
Kulusevski caught Lavia right behind his left ear and was somewhat fortunate not to be sent off after a VAR review dismissed red card calls as the challenge was 'excessively forceful'.
The former Southampton wonderkid was left in serious discomfort after the collision and required medical attention on the pitch before eventually playing through the rest of the half.
Lavia later showed in a social media post the deep wound he suffered as a result of his altercation with Kulusevski after the match, but Maresca explained that he had withdrawn the midfielder for a different reason.
Chelsea and other Premier League clubs have entered their busiest time of the season with matches taking place every few days and Maresca warned against risking the fitness of his players after beating Spurs.
“We made some adjustments in the second half, we deserved to win,” the Chelsea boss told Sky Sports after the match.
'We had a problem with Lavia. Gusto was inside. We tricked the two attacking midfielders a bit. The change was good.
'He [Lavia] felt a hamstring problem. Now he's fine. We don't want to take any risks,” said the 44-year-old head coach.
Lavia could be rested by Maresca for Thursday's UEFA Conference League match against Astana before returning as Blues host Brentford in the Premier League next weekend.
Meanwhile, Tottenham themselves suffered from injuries against Chelsea, with defender Cristian Romero hobbling off after just 15 minutes on his return after a 35-day absence.
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