Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has suggested that Reece James could miss Wednesday’s Premier League match against Leeds United at Elland Road.
The Blues held out despite a first-half red card for Moises Caicedo, securing a 1-1 draw against Arsenal at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
James was moved into a central midfield role instead of his usual right-back position and delivered another ‘fantastic’ performance following his influential display against Barcelona earlier this week.
This season, the England international has already made 12 appearances and made five substitute appearances in all competitions, maintaining a consistency that has eluded him in previous campaigns.
Despite this form, Maresca acknowledged that James’ minutes will need careful management if he is to feature against Leeds at Elland Road.
When asked if he would risk the captaincy for a similar high-intensity performance in midfield, Maresca said football. London: ‘No, no, the reality is no.’
He added: ‘Reece, his performance was fantastic, great. Now we have a match on Wednesday. Very good for him.
“We have to manage him, we have to control him, we have to control his situation a little bit. But he was very good tonight.”
Reece James is managed
With Dario Essugo only returning to first-team training last week and Romeo Lavia sidelined until mid-December at the earliest, Maresca feels his options in midfield are somewhat limited.
Caicedo’s suspension, combined with the possibility of resting Reece James, means that Andrey Santos will almost certainly get a starting place against Leeds.
The plan appears to be in place for Santos to act as a direct replacement for Caicedo in the number six role, while Enzo Fernandez moves up to the number eight position. Joao Pedro could operate as a number 10 behind the striker, with Liam Delap called upon to take charge.
Santos impressed when he replaced Caicedo in Chelsea’s 2-0 win over Burnley last weekend, where he won the man of the match award, and he also put in a strong performance against Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League last Tuesday.
Although still relatively inexperienced in English football, the Brazilian midfielder appears ready to take responsibility in the Blues’ engine room for the next three crucial games against Leeds United, Bournemouth and Everton until Caicedo returns in the Carabao Cup quarter-final against Cardiff City.
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