Chelsea will have to deal with the loss of a key player for their Europa Conference League final against Real Betis on May 28.
The Blues eased through to the showpiece event in Wroclaw, Poland, after thumping Swedish side Djurgarden 5-1 on aggregate over two legs in the semi-finals.
That came after knockout wins over Legia Warsaw and FC Copenhagen after they won all six of their games in the tournament’s initial league phase.
However, their bid for Champions League qualification via finishing in the top five of the Premier League took another blow last Sunday as they suffered a 2-0 defeat to Newcastle United at St. James’ Park.
They were hindered in their quest for three points by being reduced to 10 men after Nicolas Jackson elbowed Dan Burn and was shown a straight red card.
While they will be able to call on the Senegalese striker for their latest European final, the same does not apply for another key member of Enzo Maresca‘s squad.
Chelsea will be without a key player in their Europa Conference League final against Real Betis
Romeo Lavia will miss out due to being ineligible to feature in time for the final on May 28
It has presented manager Enzo Maresca with a selection headache regarding who he selects in midfield
Chelsea cannot alter the A list squad, but they can add an unlimited number to their B list until 11pm the night before any game, so long as they meet the criteria.
As previously revealed exclusively by Mail Sport, Romeo Lavia is not eligible to be added before the final.
Lavia, 21, was born after January 1, 2003, which ticked one box for the B list, but he has not been with the club for a long enough period and neither his time at Manchester City nor Southampton counts towards that, despite them being from the same association.
Sources also told Mail Sport that Chelsea will receive 50 gold ones if they win the Conference League or 50 silver ones if they finish runners-up – with it being down to the club how they then distribute them between their players and coaches.
It is expected Mykhailo Mudryk would receive one as he participated in the competition earlier this season, despite him now being suspended from football.
Likewise, those on loan such as Joao Felix and Renato Veiga could get one too, given the quantity of medals that could be handed out.