Maresca hopeful James and Lavia will stay fit

Enzo Maresca says he is hopeful that Reece James and Romeo Lavia will be fit and available for the rest of the season after the pair made their returns from injury against Morecambe in the FA Cup.

The Blues cruised to a 5-0 victory against League Two opposition in the third round, with Tosin Adarabioyo and Joao Felix both netting twice.

Christopher Nkunku also scored after having an early penalty saved.

James, who had not played since November 10, captained the side on his return and played the first half.

Lavia also started and was replaced at the break, with head coach Maresca confirming post-match that easing the pair back in was part of his plan.

“The idea was to play 45 minutes and hopefully we can build some physical condition that allows them to be with us for the rest of the season,” Maresca said.

“For Reece, we have to be a bit more careful. The good thing is that they both played 45 minutes, and finished with no problems.

“Now we start to help them build the right condition.”

Lavia had missed the past five Premier League fixtures with a hamstring injury, while James had not featured since the 1-1 draw with Arsenal two months ago.