Romeo Lavia Ineligible for Chelsea-Real Betis Conference League Final
- Chelsea are set to be without a major player for the crucial Conference League final against Real Betis
- The Blues reached the final after an unbeaten league phase and knockout wins over Legia Warsaw, FC Copenhagen, and Djurgarden
- Chelsea will receive 50 gold tokens if they win or 50 silver ones if they finish runners-up, to be distributed among players and staff
Chelsea will be without one of their brightest young stars in Romeo Lavia for their pivotal UEFA Conference League final against Real Betis.
The Belgian midfielder, who has endured a frustrating debut season plagued by injuries, has officially been ruled ineligible for the final on May 28, 2025 in Wroclaw, Poland.
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Romeo Lavia cannot play Conference League final
Lavia, 21, had sparked some hope of a return for the season finale after resuming light training in recent weeks.
However, due to UEFA squad registration rules, he cannot be included in the matchday squad but Tyrique George, who recently won Chelsea Men's Academy Player of the Year award, is part of the list.
According to a Daily Mail report, UEFA regulations permit clubs to register an unlimited number of players on their B list until 11 p.m. the night before a fixture, provided they meet specific criteria.
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To qualify, players must be born on or after January 1, 2003, and have been eligible to play for the club for at least two uninterrupted years.
While Lavia ticks the age requirement, his time at Chelsea falls short of the two-year mark.
Unfortunately for the Blues, his previous spells at Manchester City and Southampton do not count, even though all three clubs are within the English Football Association.
Chelsea’s road to the Conference League final
Enzo Maresca's made it to the Wroclaw final after winning all six of their matches in the Conference League’s inaugural league phase, they made light work of the knockout rounds.
The Blues dispatched Polish side Legia Warsaw in the Round of 16, before overcoming Danish outfit FC Copenhagen in the quarter-finals.
Their semi-final tie saw them brush aside Swedish team Djurgarden with a convincing 5-1 aggregate score over two legs.
The 2021 Champions League winners now turn their attention to Real Betis, who narrowly edged out Olympiacos in their own semi-final showdown.
Will Chelsea miss Romeo Lavia in the Conference League final?
With Lavia unavailable, Maresca still has plenty of midfield options to handle the pressure of the final.
The likes of Enzo Fernández and Moisés Caicedo are expected to play key roles in controlling the midfield battle against the La Liga side.
Playmaker Cole Palmer is also expected to shine for Chelsea after being added to the Blues' Conference League squad in February, per the BBC.
Mikel Arteta backs PSG to win 2024/25 Champions League
YEN.com.gh earlier reported Mikel Arteta's massive support for Paris Saint-Germain ahead of their eagerly-awaited 2025 Champions League final against Inter Milan.
The Arsenal manager paid glowing tribute to the French champions after his Premier League team were eliminated at the semi-finals stage by Luis Enrique's side.
Source: YEN.com.gh
