Captain and coach: Enzo Maresca and Reece James
Chelsea Football Newsletter
James played the full 90 minutes, for the third time in a week, as Chelsea beat Everton 2-0 on Saturday to return to winning ways, the first time he has managed that feat since 2023.
Serious injuries plagued the early years of James’s career, and Chelsea’s medical staff continue to carefully manage his game time as they attempt to stave off any potential future injuries to the club captain.
Chelsea have long believed that James would struggle to play three full matches in a week.
However, after starting and finishing games against Bournemouth, Atalanta and Everton, the Blues skipper has bucked that trend.
Asked, after the game at Stamford Bridge, whether this was a positive development for the state of James’s fitness, Maresca said: “Yeah, he's asking for more.
“He's getting better and better, so it's a good feeling for us, because we said many times that he's an important player for us.”
James is not the only player Chelsea are careful not to overplay, with centre-back Wesley Fofana, the currently-injured Romeo Lavia, and star man Cole Palmer also commanding closer attention from the club's medical staff.
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Palmer scored his first goal since September when he put Chelsea into the lead against Everton, and he lasted 57 minutes before being handed a rest and replaced by Andrey Santos.
“I said many times that with Cole we are a better team,” Maresca said. “The effort from the players right now is fantastic.”