Enzo Maresca will now be dreading one particular Premier League game after Romeo Lavia injury update

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Chelsea midfielder Romeo Lavia is set for another spell on the sidelines in a blow to Enzo Maresca.

The 21-year-old sustained a quadricep injury during Chelsea’s 2-2 draw with Qarabag in the Champions League last week and had to be taken off.

Since arriving at Stamford Bridge, Lavia has had many fitness issues, which is frustrating given how much quality he brings to the pitch.

He is now set to miss some big games for Chelsea, including one against their London rivals Arsenal.

• READ MORE: Three things Enzo Maresca needs to improve at Chelsea during international break

Why Enzo Maresca would have been desperate to have Romeo Lavia for Arsenal clash

Lavia is set to be out of action for a month, meaning that he will definitely miss the visit of Arsenal in a couple of weeks.

It is a game that Maresca would have really wanted the Belgian to be available for, with the Chelsea manager always trusting him in the big matches.

For example, last season, Lavia made starts against Manchester City, Liverpool, Manchester United, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur — that is the whole of the big six.

Lavia adds more strength and energy to the Blues’ midfield and, most importantly, helps them to escape the opposition’s press. There may not be a more press-resistant midfielder in the Premier League.

As former Manchester United and Bayern Munich star Owen Hargreaves discussed one of Lavia’s performances back in January, he said: “Lavia is so good on the ball. He might be one of the most press-resistant players I’ve seen.”

Not having that against Arsenal will be a huge setback for Chelsea.

Chelsea’s likely midfield for Arsenal game

Enzo Fernandez is not as mobile or physical as Moises Caicedo, so Maresca rarely opts for a double pivot of those two for the bigger matches.

It is why Lavia’s absence will be such a blow, but the Italian could always move Fernandez further forward and start Caicedo and Reece James in the middle.

He did that in the 1-0 win against Tottenham, explaining that James was used in midfield to add more physicality. Expect Chelsea’s engine room to look like that when Arsenal make the trip to west London later this month.