Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has confirmed which of his players will miss out on Sunday’s trip to Brentford. The Italian revealed that defenders Wesley Fofana and Romeo Lavia will be out with muscle injuries, while Reece James is still being slowly reintegrated.
Maresca discussed Lavia and Fofana, revealing that the former would not face Brentford. He told the press:
Wes had a muscle problem a few days and we are waiting for more checks. For Sunday, Romeo is out. If you compare Romeo’s games this season to last season, he has already improved. But the target with Romeo is just to try to keep him fit as much as we can and play more games next season than this season.
Reece James was a second-half substitute in the 1-0 victory over Tottenham. He looks set to be part of the squad to face Brentford, as he continues to overcome long-standing injury problems.
Maresca has emphasized that the club aspires to maintain their influential captain’s fitness for the long haul, rather than rushing him into an abundance of starts:
We are trying to do the same with Reece (James), it’s not the same but a similar situation. Reece [against Tottenham was on the bench, he is one of our best players, but he was on the bench because he try to take care of him.
We know that in this moment he can’t play every three days, hopefully soon he can, but the main target with him, Romeo and Wes is to keep them fit because we know how important they are for us.
Chelsea prepare for tough Brentford test after Spurs win
Chelsea travel to Brentford for a vital west London derby on Sunday, after a taxing midweek victory against Tottenham. Just days after Enzo Fernandez’s header secured a 1-0 win for the Blues, they have returned to the pitch, hoping to hold their ground in the Premier League’s top four.
That victory over Spurs was not without cost, as a number of players were forced to the limits of their endurance. Nicolas Jackson was playing his first game in two months after a hamstring lay-off. He was lively but faded in the second half and was substituted.
Noni Madueke, who returned from injury to be a second-half substitute during the week, could also force his way into the starting XI on Sunday. But Chelsea remain without Wesley Fofana and Romeo Lavia, both still out with no apparent date for a return.
