Overview
- Lavia pulled up within the opening minutes in Baku and was replaced by Moises Caicedo, who had been earmarked for a rest.
- Enzo Maresca said the club "feel very ashamed" for the player and indicated the issue looks like a quadriceps problem, not a hamstring recurrence.
- Chelsea will conduct medical imaging at their Cobham training ground after returning to London to confirm the diagnosis and timeline.
- The setback further squeezes central-midfield options, leaving Caicedo, Enzo Fernández and Andrey Santos as the recognised choices with Dario Essugo out.
- Maresca linked mounting injuries and the need for rotation to a truncated off-season tied to the Club World Cup schedule.