This Friday, he started for his first minutes with the U21s against Leeds. Internally, we hope that this will help build the foundations for his (cautious) return to the first team.
Before these first minutes, the Daily Mail returned in more detail to the plan put in place by the Chelsea staff.
According to the newspaper, during certain days off of his partners, the player still came to Cobham, the Blues training center, to perfect his physical condition.
The Chelsea staff also tried to innovate by placing virtual reality in their return process. Indeed, Roméo Lavia relied on this technology thanks to an immersive headset simulating real situations. The Red Devil (1 selection) thus worked on his decision-making and his reading of the game. An invisible work which aims at one objective: to regain his best level.
When will he be back?
Last Sunday, Liam Rosenior spoke again about his player’s situation. “I really like him, first as a person, but also as a player.”he began. “The most important thing for him now is not to go too fast, so that when he comes back he is really ready and I can really use him tactically. I’m really looking forward to having him back with us.”
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It remains to be seen when this return will be effective. In the media, the date of… March 1 is mentioned. Or in ten days during the derby against Arsenal.
It’s possible he could be in the squad if his body responds well to the U21 game. On the other hand, he should not play yet. The Blues staff wants to remain cautious. Selecting him would be a moral reward for his hard work to succeed at the highest level.
As a reminder, he has been injured for almost three and a half months and has only played 30 matches since his arrival due to repeated injuries. A failure for the one who cost Londoners 60 million euros.
Objectively, Liam Rosenior must hope to be able to count on his player at the end of the international break. Unsurprisingly, he will not be taken over by Rudi Garcia for the training camp in the United States with the Red Devils. This will give him a little extra time to perfect his physical condition before the big jump on April 11. A date that he must have marked in his calendar since he will face his training club Manchester City.
