Reece James has a long and extensive injury history. Naturally, fans are concerned if he is substituted early. And there were concerns amongst the fanbase when he was curiously taken off at half-time against Burnley after starting on the day. Even more worrying is the fact that Chelsea have games against Barcelona and Arsenal coming up. The last thing they need is for the captain to be injured.
It was a bit of a surprise that James had started against Burnley in the first place. Most would have expected him to be given a rest before being used against Barcelona and Arsenal. And if it resulted in him picking up an injury, that would be the worst luck possible.
Thankfully, it looks like James is not injured. In fact, it appears that it was always the plan for him to play 45 minutes on the day.
As reported by Nizaar Kinsella, Enzo Maresca said about the situation of James:
"The idea was especially to manage Reece (James), it was a plan for him to play 45 minutes."
Why Reece James was subbed at half-time amid new Chelsea injury fears
James was seen laughing coming out of the break. That gave the fans hope that it was not a serious problem which had resulted in him being subbed off. And now, Maresca's comments will be music to their ears.
It remains to be seen if James will start the game against Barcelona or not. Chelsea do need his experience and quality against opposition of that quality. The captain is one of the few full-backs around who seems equally comfortable defensively and going forward, although it does feel like the transformation in his gameplay under Maresca is a deliberate choice to maintain his fitness, even though it does not make the most of his qualities, especially up the pitch.
While that might be a point of frustration for some fans, one cannot deny the effect that it has had on James' fitness. It has been a while since he picked up any kind of long-term injury and let's hope that it continues in this manner.