They say that a change is as good as a rest. For some members of Chelsea’s squad, that is turning out to be literally the case.

Having moved straight from the end of our 2024/25 domestic and European campaigns to this summer’s Club World Cup in the USA, there was no lack of energy on show for the Blues as we triumphed in our opening fixture. Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernandez found the net in either half to give us the perfect start to the tournament, with a 2-0 win over LAFC.

The Americans posed a different challenge to the one we have become accustomed to in the Premier League and UEFA Conference League over the last year, and that is true for the competition as a whole, expanded in its new format for the 2025 edition.

Before this month, we had never played a competitive fixture in the USA. Nor against any of our three group stage opponents – LAFC, Flamengo and Esperance de Tunisie. However, for Lavia, that feeling of embarking on a new journey just adds to the experience.

‘Even before arriving here, we understood how big this competition was. We’re happy to be here,’ said the midfielder after Monday evening’s victory in Atlanta.

‘It's great to see. We've watched some of the other games on TV as well. They are all great games and at a good level.

‘I think every team has got different qualities because they're coming from a different environment. So it's nice to watch because you don't get to see all these teams often.

‘We knew how good LAFC were and they showed that on the pitch. I wasn't surprised. I just thought they had a great team.

‘As for my performance, for a first game it wasn't bad. I'm taking it game-by-game and will probably take the next few days to analyse the performance to get better feedback.’

Lavia featured for the first 45 minutes of our win over LAFC before making way for Fernandez at half-time.

‘It was just about managing minutes,’ he confirmed. ‘There's no physical issue or anything. I feel very good, confident in my body and in what we can achieve as well.’

That is welcome news, after the 21-year-old returned from injury late in the season to contribute during the run-in, as we secured a fourth-place finish in the Premier League and qualification for the UEFA Champions League. He is now doing everything he can to ensure those issues are a thing of the past.

‘I am not thinking too far ahead. It's just about taking each game as it comes and then doing everything possible to stay fit, and playing as many games as possible.

‘It's definitely something I'm aware of, so I do everything possible to stay fit. Honestly, the injuries I have had before, I just want to put them behind me and look forward to the future and feeling good.’

As Lavia continues to impress in the heart of our midfield, it enhances the strong options available to Enzo Maresca. That was on show in Atlanta on Monday, as we began the match with Lavia partnering Moises Caicedo, before finishing it with goalscorer Fernandez alongside new signing Dario Essugo.

‘It's what is needed for a club of this level, so it's all healthy. We all have great connections together,’ insisted Romeo, when asked about the competition for places in that area of the pitch.

‘It's just about doing our best every day, and then the head coach must decide who he wants to pick, but all the players are going to be ready.’

That means Maresca will have plenty of options at his disposal when Chelsea return to the pitch for our next match in the Club World Cup. That arrives on Friday, with a 7pm kick-off (UK time) against Flamengo in Philadelphia. You can watch that and every fixture at the tournament for free via DAZN by registering here.