'Let him play' - Xabi Alonso explains why he refused to substitute 'exhausted' Chelsea star against AC Milan

Xabi Alonso gave an insight into his unique management style by revealing why he refused to substitute one of his Chelsea players who was 'exhausted' against AC Milan.

Chelsea beat Ruben Amorim's side 3-0 in Jakarta, with Joao Pedro scoring twice and Moises Caicedo also on target.

New signing Danny Welbeck got his first minutes in a Chelsea shirt after his shock signing from Brighton but the fixture was particularly valuable for midfielder Romeo Lavia.

Lavia signed for the Blues from Southampton in a £53 million deal in August 2023 after being courted by Liverpool for much of the window.

The former Manchester City academy player has played 43 times for Chelsea but has been plagued by muscle injuries in his thigh, hamstring and quadriceps.

As a result, the Belgian has missed more than 80 games for Chelsea and failed to complete a full 90 minutes.

READ MORE: Chelsea 'interested' in latest new signing under Xabi Alonso as squad count hits 42

He finally ended that wretched run on Saturday at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium when he lasted the duration.

Alonso made plenty of changes to give minutes to his squad but he kept Lavia on by design, explaining that he wanted him to feel fatigued even after a recent hamstring issue.

Speaking to Chelsea's official channels afterwards, Alonso said: "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."

Lavia hasn't played 90 minutes for more than three years and so the game against Milan was a major step. On Instagram, teammate Wesley Fofana posted a picture of Lavia and Levi Colwill, with the caption, "@romeolavia first 90 min (loveheart emoji).

Chelsea back in action for second game in two days

Lavia is expected to be given a well-earned rest but Chelsea are back in action just a day later when they take on Malaysian side Johor Darul Ta’zim.

With many young players in the travelling party, Alonso is expected to field a completely different side for the game - which is the last stop of their tour of Australia and Asia.

"That was the idea, to arrive to this last weekend, having this game today and tomorrow another one, that some players could make 90 minutes," he told Hayters.

“Until now we wanted a logical progression in the loads. We had a plan and we have stuck to that.”

It is what it is. The idea for tomorrow was already done yesterday.

“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.”

Chelsea host Alonso's former teammate Real Sociedad in a final friendly at Stamford Bridge on Saturday 15 August.