Maresca offers Fernandez hope for Man City clash as Lavia's Chelsea injury blow confirmed | OneFootball

Chelsea are hoping Enzo Fernandez will be ready to return against Manchester City, however Romeo Lavia is set to be sidelined for an extended period.

The Chelsea duo missed their 3-1 win over Wolves in the Premier League on Monday night, which saw Moises Caicedo partner up with Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall in midfield as the Blues ended a run of five league matches without victory to return into the top four places.

"Romeo is more important than Enzo," responded head coach Enzo Maresca on the severity of the injuries after the victory at Stamford Bridge. "We don't know yet how long they are going to be out. Hopefully not too long."

He continued: "Muscle fatigue or muscle problem (for both players during the draw vs Bournemouth). We need to wait a little bit."

Both were doubtful to face Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium this weekend and Lavia's absence has all but been confirmed. Matt Law of the Daily Telegraph has revealed 'it is anticipated that Lavia will be missing for weeks'.

IMAGO / Sportsphoto

With Lavia set to miss at least the next couple of weeks, Chelsea will be desperate for Fernandez to be available for selection. Maresca is hopeful the Argentine can return to the side this weekend, however he would have to wait until later in the week before getting a clearer idea.

He told Sky Sports on Monday night: "Enzo, probably, we need some more days. I am not sure for the next game, we'll see."

Maresca added: "We don't know yet. Probably in the next 24-48 hours we will have more news."

As a result, Chelsea are reportedly considering their options in the midfield ahead of the January transfer window closing. Renato Veiga and Cesare Casadei have both been linked with moves away, while Andrey Santos and Lesley Ugochukwu are potential options to recall from their respective loan spells.