Mauricio Pochettino says Reece James will be on bench in Chelsea’s clash against Brentford
As per Football.London, Mauricio Pochettino claimed Reece James would be on the bench against Brentford after the right-back finally returned to action and made a short cameo in a 2-2 draw with Arsenal.
The Argentine manager further said he is still not fully fit to start the game, and the club will be cautious with him considering he has often picked up injuries.
James sustained a hamstring injury at the start of this season in a 1-1 draw with Liverpool and remained out of action for a short spell. He is now available for the next game but won’t be starting against the Bees.
The right-back has had a terrible campaign last term due to ailments. He suffered a knee injury prior to the FIFA World Cup last year and required surgery. This season, he has also been plagued by injuries.
Malo Gusto has covered the 23-year-old’s absence this season; he has performed admirably and is probably going to start against Thomas Frank’s team. Pochettino suggested to the press that the England international could enter as a substitute since he doesn’t want to take a chance by starting James.
“No, he’s still not ready to start. I think he is doing well; he is training really well, but at the moment, tomorrow he will still be on the bench.”
We must exercise extreme caution when it comes to James because we don’t want him to become an injury-prone. We also don’t want to overwork his body by playing him frequently because it doesn’t seem like his body is prepared for a full game yet. Until he regains his full fitness, which will take at least a few matches, Gusto is going to step in.
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Chelsea have been impacted by their injury issue, and James’s absence became apparent during the games. Gusto has performed admirably in James’ place, but the 23-year-old is a Premier League product and offers a greater threat in both the offensive and defensive areas.