Chelsea fans were left stunned when Romeo Lavia was left out of the starting lineup for today’s crucial Premier League match against Nottingham Forest. With Champions League qualification up for grabs, the supporters had expected that the Belgian midfielder would play a starring role.
Manager Enzo Maresca has chosen to play with a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez deployed in the midfield. Noni Madueke, Cole Palmer, and Jadon Sancho played in a front three behind Pedro Neto likely set to play a false nine role.
At the back, Reece James will reprise his role as captain at right-back, alongside Tosin Adarabioyo, Levi Colwill, and Marc Cucurella. Robert Sanchez has been chosen to man the post as the last line of defense.
Lavia’s absence could be a warning sign regarding fitness. With so much time lost this season to hamstring problems, Maresca has already shown caution by limiting his game time. Considering the magnitude of the match and Lavia’s recent injury record, Maresca could be keeping the midfielder for a second-half stint instead.
His omission elicited responses on social media, as supporters clamored with comments like these:
Chelsea’s Champions League hopes hang in the balance on their Premier League final day encounter against Nottingham Forest at the City Ground today (May 25). The Blues are fifth on 66 points, and their future remains in their own hands.
If they win, they’re in the Champions League. A draw would be enough only if Aston Villa don’t beat Manchester United or Newcastle lose at home to Everton. Defeat would put them in straits, needing both Aston Villa and Newcastle to lose, and the Magpies’ loss would need to be by a big margin to account for goal difference.
Nottingham Forest are one point adrift of the Blues in seventh position, and unsurprisingly, they also have Champions League ambitions. They need to beat Chelsea and pray Aston Villa and Newcastle drop points.
Nnanna’s favorite club is English team Bolton Wanderers because he witnessed Nigeria legend Jay-Jay Okocha’s play for them between 2002 and 2006. His favorite footballer is Ronaldinho due to the Brazilian’s love for the sport and admires Pep Guardiola for redefining football tactics. As a former literature student, Nnanna reckons that the best way of connecting with the readers is to add a bit of empathy in his writing, and relies on trusted websites like Transfermarkt and WhoScored for his articles.
Lionel Messi lifting the World Cup trophy in 2022 is Nnanna’s favorite FIFA World Cup moment, and also follows Major League Soccer due to the diminutive Argentine. He strongly believes that Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland could be the next two superstars in the same light as legendary pair Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
When not writing, he likes to play Football Manager and other simulation games.
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