Southampton boss Ralph Hasenhuttl admits they need to be wary of asking too much from their young players.
A hamstring injury suffered by 18-year-old midfielder Lavia was a reminder to him and everyone at the club of the need to manage workload carefully, particularly for his less experienced first-team players.
Hasenhuttl said Lavia would be out for a minimum of six weeks and added: “It is difficult to find the right balance of keeping that enthusiasm at a high level and sometimes step on the brake.
“Like now with Romeo when he's injured because maybe it was a bit too much, two games in three days on this high intensity level, for a young player like him who has to play in a different way, maybe more intense than in the second team of Man City.
“It is a different challenge now for the young lads. You have to be careful not to overload them with the intense games that are coming up. But this is something they hopefully will get adapted to very quickly."
Asked whether consistency could also be a problem in such a young squad, he added: “Nobody is safe from having bad performances at one time – not experienced players nor young players. Football is a roller coaster like normal life. Sometimes you're flying high, you feel comfortable, sometimes it's not.
“But we will definitely help them to grow and to learn all the things that are important in professional football."