Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso has given an intriguing look into his man-management style after guiding the Blues to an emphatic 3-0 pre-season win over AC Milan in Jakarta. The Spaniard took the bold call to overlook the tiredness of one particular player in order to help him get past a major psychological barrier.

Alonso opens up on Lavia substitution decision

Alonso has explained the deliberate thinking behind his choice to leave Romeo Lavia on the pitch for the entire match in Chelsea's 3-0 friendly victory over AC Milan in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Saturday.

Speaking to Chelsea's official channels after the final whistle, the Blues boss outlined his tough-love approach towards the former Southampton midfielder'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 said.

Getting past a miserable injury record

For Lavia, the outing at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium marked only his second full 90-minute appearance in more than three years. Since arriving at Chelsea in a £53 million transfer in August 2023, the 22-year-old has been limited to just 43 appearances, with repeated thigh, hamstring and quadriceps injuries causing him to miss more than 80 matches for the west London club.

Looking back on his own progress, Lavia thanked the medical staff who helped him reach the stage where he was able to complete a full pre-season game.

"I was very happy to play the 90 minutes and I feel good," Lavia 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 importance of the milestone was also recognised by his team-mates, with defender Wesley Fofana celebrating the midfielder's resilience on social media. Fofana shared a picture with Lavia and Levi Colwill with the caption: "@romeolavia first 90 min," along with a love-heart emoji.

Commanding performance in Jakarta

While Lavia's personal challenge was a major talking point, Chelsea also turned in an accomplished team display to brush aside Ruben Amorim's Milan side. The Blues sealed a comfortable win as Joao Pedro struck twice and Moises Caicedo produced a stunning goal, allowing the Premier League heavyweights to control the Rossoneri. The result came as a timely lift for Alonso's squad after recent friendly losses to Juventus and Tottenham.

Busy schedule goes on for the Blues

There is hardly any time for Lavia and his team-mates to recover, with Chelsea due to play their second match in only 24 hours against Malaysian club Johor Darul Ta’zim. Alonso has already confirmed that he will rotate his squad heavily for the final stop of their Australia and Asia tour in order to protect his senior players 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."