Revealed: Why Xabi Alonso REFUSED to substitute 'exhausted' Chelsea star during victory over AC Milan

Alonso has revealed the calculated reasoning behind his decision to keep Romeo Lavia on the pitch for the full duration of Chelsea's 3-0 friendly win over AC Milan in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Saturday.

Speaking to Chelsea's official channels after the full-time whistle, the Blues boss explained his tough-love approach to the former Southampton man's fitness. "Romeo Lavia has this mental block when it comes to playing 90 minutes, he was tired but I said, 'Let him play, let him play…' We let him do the 90 and he finishes exhausted, I think that he is really happy," Alonso stated.

For Lavia, the run-out at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium was his second completed 90-minute appearance in over three years. Since joining Chelsea in a £53 million deal in August 2023, the 22-year-old has been restricted to just 43 appearances, with a relentless cycle of thigh, hamstring, and quadriceps injuries forcing him to miss more than 80 matches for the west London side.

Reflecting on his individual progress, Lavia thanked the medical staff who have helped him reach a position where he could complete a full pre-season match.

"I was very happy to play the 90 minutes and I feel good," Lavia said told the club's official website. "The confidence comes from all the work with all the people at the club, who have helped me get into a good position to ensure that I could have a good pre-season and to get going strongly here.

"I’m very happy with how things have gone, the minutes I’ve played under Xabi and I’m excited for the season ahead. We are really enjoying working under the new manager, he has come in and implemented his ideas and we are all very happy with him. We hope it’s going to be a good season."

The significance of the milestone was not lost on his teammates, with defender Wesley Fofana taking to social media to celebrate the midfielder's resilience. Fofana posted a picture alongside Lavia and Levi Colwill on Instagram with the caption: "@romeolavia first 90 min," accompanied by a loveheart emoji.

While Lavia’s individual battle took centre stage, Chelsea produced a polished team performance to dismantle Ruben Amorim’s Milan side. The Blues secured a comfortable victory as a brace from Joao Pedro and a sensational strike from Moises Caicedo ensured the Premier League giants dominated the Rossoneri. The result provided a much-needed boost for Alonso’s squad following recent friendly defeats against Juventus and Tottenham.

There is little time for Lavia and his teammates to rest, as Chelsea are scheduled to play their second match in just 24 hours against Malaysian side Johor Darul Ta’zim. Alonso has already confirmed that he will rotate his squad heavily for the final leg of their tour across Australia and Asia to protect his senior stars from burnout.

"It is what it is. The idea for tomorrow was already done yesterday," Alonso added. "Many young players will have the chance to play tomorrow. Because playing two games in two days is quite intense, we need them for tomorrow.

"We have improved and learned a lot in these two weeks. Not just on the football side, also on the personal side to get to know the players, spending time together abroad. So it’s been good. Tomorrow is the last game and then we’ll fly back to London."