Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has issued a worrying update on Romeo Lavia's condition following the Blues' 2-2 draw with Qarabag. The young midfielder was injured in the opening minutes of the match at Tofik Bakhramov Stadium on Wednesday night and was substituted for Moises Caicedo.

In a press conference in Baku, Maresca said: "We feel a shame for him, especially for him. He's not able to be fit for a long, long period. We will see now. It's too early to understand what kind of injury. I think it's his quad." Maresca acknowledged the risk of starting Lavia, comparing his situation to that of Reece James. Prior to the lengthy trip to Azerbaijan, he outlined his plan for the Belgian player.

"The main target for Romeo now is to be fit," Maresca said before the match. "Don't get any injuries. For me, at this moment, Romeo is where Reece was more or less one year ago in terms of back after a long time. We need to manage him every minute, every day, every second.

"And the target with him is just to keep him fit. So, he's training...