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.
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.”
