Mauricio Pochettino allays Chelsea defender Reece James injury scare
Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino has reassured that the injury that Reece James picked up in training recently is not a “big issue”.
The new club captain has picked up a knock. However, fears of the right-back being out of action for months have been put to rest. Now, the Blues are set to monitor the defender closely.
Speaking to the media via the Evening Standard, Pochettino expressed disappointment at the 23-year-old being forced out of action. But the gaffer revealed that the England international would only be on the sidelines for a few weeks.
“It’s a sad moment because he is our captain and he was so excited to be our captain and full of energy.
“It is not about a few days, maybe a few weeks but the most important thing is the evolution. The good thing is it is not a big issue.”
James made his way through the youth ranks at Chelsea and has established himself as a key player for us over the last few years. However, injuries have hampered the right-back’s development and game time at the West London club.
The English national has been unlucky with injuries season after season. In the previous campaign, the defender missed out on a place in the Three Lions’ World Cup squad.
James was also unable to play regularly for the Stamford Bridge side and suffered two setbacks in the 2022/23 term, one towards the end of the season. He made just 24 appearances in all competitions for the Blues in the previous campaign.
Recently, the English national was handed the captain’s armband by Pochettino. After the departure of Cesar Azpilicueta, the Argentine manager had a big decision on his hands and chose the academy graduate to lead the team onto the pitch.
However, James’ injury record is not an encouraging one. Therefore, it remains to be seen whether he will be able to captain the side on a regular basis.
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Pcohettino has Malo Gusto in his ranks as well. Thus, it looks like the French national will get his opportunities in the coming weeks. Hopefully, the English national will be back soon and will be able to remain fit from here on out.