Why these two Chelsea players will battle for minutes – even though they play different positions | OneFootball

Simon Johnson’s piece for the Athletic today is all about Reece James – the positives and the negatives.

After his latest return from injury in January in the FA Cup against Morecambe, the club captain has featured in 16 of the 20 subsequent games, and played twice for England in the same period It’s his best run without injury in years.

Enzo Maresca and his staff have managed James’ minutes delicately, and even shifted his role to help him stay fit. So far, it’s worked.

The bad news for James who has lost indispensable status

Romeo Lavia trains with Enzo Maresca. (Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC)

But there is bad news too, of course. The downside of missing so much time and having to be managed so carefully when you are around is that the club and the manager won’t build around you. Maresca is a big fan of James, but doesn’t really like to use him in a way that plays to his strengths, and the evidence of last Saturday was that James is now more of an impact player than a star saved for the biggest games.

With Romeo Lavia fit, Moises Caicedo moved to right back to accommodate the Belgian, and it was James who missed out.

Lavia and James to both be managed by cautious Maresca

For now James is still guaranteed plenty of action as Lavia is going to be managed very carefully in a similar manner because of his own injury problems. It’s an odd situation, having a central midfielder and a right back swapping back and forth, but Caicedo and James’ ability to play both positions makes it possible.

If he stays fit, perhaps he can make right back his own and be unleashed up and down the flank like he used to be. For now, he has to be happy with just playing regularly.