Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca has claimed that Reece James cannot handle playing two games each week. The defender has not been able to play at all so far this season due to a hamstring injury. This comes after the England international only featured in 11 total fixtures for the Blues during the entire 2023/24 campaign.
While James has been sidelined since early August, Maresca told reporters on Friday that the full-back is finally fit. “Reece James is available. He is back. He worked with us all the international break,” the coach responded when asked about the team news heading into the weekend. “Finally, he is back.”
Maresca was then asked if the club captain could handle the demanding responsibilities he asks of his full-backs. Malo Gusto has typically filled in for James during the current campaign.
“First of all, he has to be fit and then slowly we will see,” claimed the coach. “The most important thing for Reece is finally he is fit. We have many players that are versatile and can play in different positions.”
Chelsea coach could opt to rest James in certain games even if fit
Maresca also made claims that James now cannot handle playing two games in a week because of the physical demands. Due to growing fixture congestion, most big clubs regularly have multiple matches per week throughout their season. Chelsea falls into this category due to their involvement in the Conference League. The Blues also remain in the Carabao Cup as well.
Both of these competitions typically schedule fixtures during the middle of the week. Premier League matchups are then usually reserved for the weekends.
“Reece’s body cannot play for instance twice a week so one of the solutions is that we are going to try and manage him the same way we are doing with Romeo [Lavia],” continued Maresca.
“In this moment I think this can be the solution (to play him once a week). In the future? I don’t know. The solution is to go slowly. In the future, we may be able to use him in the week but in this moment we need to use him once a week.”
James has missed nearly 130 Chelsea matches due to injury
The coach’s comments are certainly reasonable. After all, James, despite only being 24, has suffered a plethora of injuries throughout his career. The defender has been sidelined for 129 total fixtures since the start of the 2019/20 season. During the same timeframe, James has made 158 total appearances for the Blues.
Because he cannot play twice in one week at the moment, Maresca will likely rest James during secondary competitions. This means that the defender, even if fit, could remain on the bench during Conference League and Carabao Cup matches. As a result, he would then be free to feature in more Premier League fixtures.
When healthy, James is widely regarded as one of the top right-backs in all of Europe. Although Gusto is a solid backup option, Chelsea benefits when the Englishman is in the lineup. Because of this, Maresca has to be careful in dealing with his star. James and the Blues are next set to face Premier League leaders Liverpool on Sunday.
