Romeo Lavia has been one of the success stories of Chelsea’s season so far.

His appearance against Manchester United last Saturday marked the second consecutive match in which he completed the full 90 minutes. Injuries have prevented Lavia from starting in back-to-back games and finishing them, but that is something he has now been able to do under Xabi Alonso.

Lavia is not just starting matches, though. He is also playing very well in them. Lavia’s display against United was his best in a blue shirt. The midfielder has been fantastic lately.

There is no doubt that Lavia has the right mindset and a strong mentality, with the 22-year-old not letting his injuries get the better of him.

According to The Sun, Lavia has continued to work hard behind the scenes at Chelsea, determined to prove to his employers that they did not make a mistake signing him. The Belgian was, of course, a big investment.

Chelsea paid £58m to sign Lavia from Southampton back in the 2023 summer transfer window. Unfortunately for him, he was only able to make one appearance during the 2023/24 campaign.

The following season was a bit better. Lavia made 22 appearances in all competitions, helping the Blues to win the Club World Cup. However, given how many games Chelsea played because of their participation at the Club World Cup and in the Conference League, Lavia would have been disappointed not to have played more.

Injuries persisted the following season, with the Belgium international making just four starts in the Premier League. This term, he has already surpassed that figure, showing the improvement in his fitness.

Moises Caicedo was not seen in training on Wednesday, which is a worry. It means Lavia’s availability could become even more crucial this weekend when Chelsea take on Sunderland.

It would be an absolute nightmare to head to the Stadium of Light without both Caicedo and Lavia.