Enzo Maresca hints one Chelsea star will "struggle to play" against Everton on Sunday
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Enzo Maresca has revealed that Romeo Lavia is facing an uphill battle to be fit for the game against Everton on Sunday.
The Blues head into the game against the Toffees two points behind leaders Liverpool and a win would see them momentarily go top as the Reds kick off at 4:30pm against Tottenham.
Chelsea are currently on a six match winning streak in the league, but are without some key players, which could make it tougher for them.
Maresca reveals Lavia will struggle to be fit for Everton
The Blues are without Marc Cucurella who is suspended, whilst Benoit Badiashile, Wesley Fofana and Reece James are all sidelined.
There was positive news about James and he's now taking some part in training as he aims to return to action in the new year.
However, it appears Lavia won't feature at Goodison Park after Maresca revealed the Belgium international is a major doubt.
"Joao [Felix] is back, you saw Joao," he told his pre-match press conference.
"Romeo [Lavia] probably will struggle to play Sunday. We will see. It depends. And then the rest are all clear."
Lavia's time at Chelsea has been plagued by injuries and the 20-year-old was limited to just 32 minutes of football last season.
Although he's featured more regularly this season he's still picked up a couple of injuries and Chelsea will be keen to ensure he doesn't suffer any setbacks.
When he has played Lavia has demonstrated what a good player he is and how important he is to this Chelsea side, but there's still a question mark surrounding his injury record.
Jody Morris has claimed he's a better ball carrier than Enzo Fernandez and the Belgian has so much ability and the potential to be one of the best midfielders in the league.
Lavia has featured in nine of Chelsea's 16 league matches this season, making seven starts and appearing as a substitute in the other two.
Maresca will be hoping Lavia is fit to return against either Fulham or Ipswich before the end of the year, with the Blues slightly light for depth in midfield in his absence.
