Enzo Maresca provides injury latest on Romeo Lavia and Reece James as Chelsea prepare for Brighton test

Lavia, who joined Chelsea in a £58 million ($74m) move from Southampton, has endured a difficult period at West London due to recurring injuries. After missing most of last season with a thigh injury, he showed promise during the preseason but suffered another setback in a Conference League match against Servette.

Now, with Brighton visiting Stamford Bridge, Maresca revealed that the 20-year-old midfielder is finally fit for selection. “Romeo is available for tomorrow,” the Chelsea manager stated.

When asked if Lavia was ready to start and survive the 90 minutes, the manager said: "We’ll see. We have one more session now and then we’ll decide but the important thing is finally he’s back.”

While Lavia’s return is a positive development for Chelsea, the news regarding club captain James is less promising. James has been out of action since preseason after sustaining a fresh hamstring injury.

When asked if there was no further update on James' recovery, Maresca responded succinctly, “Yeah, exactly," suggesting there is still no change in his status.

Nonetheless, Maresca is not short on options as Malo Gusto returned from injury in the Carabao Cup victory over Barrow. Moreover, Ben Chilwell has been reinstated into the squad after an uncertain summer with the English full-back now gunning for a starting berth after an impressive comeback in the EFL Cup.