Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has suggested Blues captain Reece James will be rested for Wednesday’s meeting with Leeds United.
Playing in a midfield role, James produced his best performance of the season in Chelsea’s 1–1 draw with Arsenal on Sunday, celebrating 12 entire months without an injury with a truly inspired showing.
Maresca and Chelsea’s medical staff have worked incredibly hard with James, who has been plagued by fitness concerns ever since the 2021–22 season. The 25-year-old has been forced to accept a reduced role at times, with the Blues boss adamant he will not take a single risk with James’s fitness.
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That caution will likely see James forced to return to the bench on Wednesday as Chelsea prepare for a big week which includes games against Bournemouth and Atalanta.
“No,” Maresca said bluntly when asked whether James, who also played 82 minutes against Barcelona in midweek, could repeat his heroics from the weekend against Leeds. “The reality is no.
“Reece, now, his performance has been fantastic, top. Now, we have a game on Wednesday. For him, very good. We need to manage him, we need to control him, we need to control a little bit his situation.”
In his prematch press conference, Maresca was asked directly whether James will be given another start, perhaps in midfield to replace the suspended Moisés Caicedo, and the manager offered a more hopeful update.
“It’s complicated,” Maresca admitted. “I would like to start him every game, but we need to see.”
Enzo Maresca (left) has worked hard with James. / Marc Atkins/Getty Images
James’s latest star showing came as a central midfielder—a position in which Maresca has long been adamant the England international has real potential.
However, his natural role is at right back. While James has been used in this position more often than not under Maresca, the stunning nature of his performance against Arsenal has sparked questions over whether he should be viewed as a midfielder going forwards.
“He can play in both positions,” Maresca acknowledged. “He has been a full back his whole life. He has also played as a midfielder. He can be good in both positions.
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“When we decide for him as a midfielder, we want physicality in the middle. It depends on the game plan, but he is doing very well in both positions.”
Roméo Lavia and Dário Essugo both remain sidelined for Chelsea, leaving Andrey Santos as the most natural replacement for the suspended Caicedo.
Interestingly, Maresca also named 19-year-old Josh Acheampong, trained as a right back but usually deployed as a centre back, as “one that can play good” in Caicedo’s midfield position.
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