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According to a report by Football London on Monday, 2 November 2026, Chelsea midfielder Romeo Lavia has demonstrated his professionalism despite suffering disappointment ahead of last season's FA Cup final, with a former journalist revealing how the Belgian honoured an interview commitment even after picking up an injury.
Lavia was scheduled to speak with journalists from British newspapers ahead of Chelsea's FA Cup final against Manchester City last season.
However, he suffered an injury during training on the same day and subsequently missed the final.
Despite the setback, the midfielder still honoured his interview arrangement with the journalists rather than cancelling it.
Daily Mail journalist Kieran Gill recalled the incident on the Chelsea Press Room Podcast, explaining that Lavia arrived around two or three hours late because he had needed treatment following the training injury.
Gill said: “I can remember the FA Cup final between City and Chelsea, and we had an interview set up with Lavia, didn’t we, for a few days before? And he was, if you remember, he was about two hours, maybe three hours late. And we were all hanging around waiting for him.
But I think the reason he was late is because he’d actually injured himself in training that morning and he had to go and get treatment.”
He added that Lavia knew he would miss the final but still attended the interview, despite the difficult circumstances.
The incident offers another example of the midfielder's professionalism during a challenging period at Stamford Bridge.
Lavia has recently returned to action and delivered impressive performances for Xabi Alonso's side.
He completed 90 minutes against Liverpool in the EFL Cup before repeating the achievement in Chelsea's 2-0 Premier League victory over Manchester United.
His performance against United attracted praise from teammates, with the 22-year-old showing the quality Chelsea have missed during his injury absences.
Chelsea are reportedly considering signing another midfielder in January, with Bournemouth's Alex Scott identified as a leading target following Enzo Fernandez's departure in the summer.
However, Lavia's recent performances could influence those plans. If the Belgian maintains his fitness, Chelsea may have less urgency to spend heavily on another midfielder.