Mauricio Pochettino believes Chelsea star Reece James will take time to reach full fitness
Mauricio Pochettino was full of praise for Chelsea skipper Reece James, who was in the startling line-up to face Blackburn Rovers in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night. James picked up a hamstring injury in Chelsea’s first game of the season against Liverpool and was out for a decent spell of time. The right-back made his return against Arsenal as a substitute as he continues to build his fitness.
He was lively throughout the game and came close to scoring his goal of the season against Blackburn. Chelsea cruised to a 2-0 win thanks to goals from Benoit Badiashile and Raheem Sterling. They will now face Newcastle United in the quarter-final.
James looked impressive during the game and was later replaced by Malo Gusto in the 61st minute. The right-back is currently building his fitness to play an entire game after returning from a hamstring injury.
The Argentine manager praised the 23-year-old’s performance but cautioned that he is still not fully fit and will be used less. According to the Evening Standard, this is what he said:
“He’s an amazing player; for me, he’s one of the best full-backs in the world. It’s unlucky that he only played 70–75 minutes against Liverpool in the first game and, until today, didn’t play.
“The temptation is, ‘Okay, come on, go and play 90 minutes’. But we need to be careful. Little by little, he is going to get fit and cope with the demands of the games.”
While it is good to see James return to action, his recent struggles outline the need to be cautious and not overplay him. The Englishman is a key player when fit and it is imperative that we have him available for a large chunk of the season rather than a few games now and then. It makes sense that Pochettino will want to see him return to full fitness before deploying him on a regular basis.
James demonstrated why he is regarded as one of the game’s top right-backs. His presence gives the club so much more offensive and defensive meaning. He also had a chance to score, but the goalie proved competent.
One of the best players in his position, James certainly is a game-winner. At 23, the best years of his career are ahead of him and it makes zero sense for us to overplay him, especially when he is not at his best.
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Our next game is against Tottenham Hotspur on Monday. Whether Pochettino will play the Englishman from the start or opt to bring him off the bench remains to be seen.