Liam Rosenior has provided an update on Reece James following Chelsea's 1-1 draw to Burnley. The Blues captain, who appeared to suffer a minor knock during the second half at Stamford Bridge on Saturday afternoon, was replaced by Josh Acheampong in stoppage time.
Shortly after James was taken off, Zian Flemming equalised for Scott Parker's side. Speaking to reporters, the Chelsea boss said: "Reece, he's so important to us, any sign of fatigue, we want to get him off the pitch."
And on Estevao Willian, who sustained a hamstring problem in training and subsequently missed the game, Rosenior added: "Estevao, we're doing our assessments now."
The Blues have climbed above Manchester United in the table, with only goal difference separating the two clubs in fourth and fifth respectively. The Red Devils, however, have a game in hand, which they'll play against Everton at the Hill Dickinson Stadium on Monday night.
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Liverpool could also leapfrog Chelsea in the race for Champions League qualification on Sunday afternoon, so long as they beat Nottingham Forest at the City Ground by at least 11 goals.
On whether the Blues have discipline issues, Rosenior said: "I will never speak about anything that happened before me. For me, we've set fire to four points in two games. It's not good enough. There's an inquest after every game, win or lose."
Earlier this week, Rosenior was whether there's an element of complacency among top teams when they face the struggling sides. Speaking to reporters at Cobham on Thursday afternoon, the Blues boss said: "I don't think it's just complacency.
Wesley Fofana is shown a red card during the Premier League match between Chelsea and Burnley at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea defender Wesley Fofana was sent off in the second half (Image: Izzy Poles - AMA/Getty Images)
"Wolves were outstanding [against Arsenal] yesterday. I watched the game. This is such a strong league now. Every team can beat everyone. That's why the league is so close in terms of points between so many teams.
"What we have to do is we have to focus on our own performance. We have to make sure that we prepare ourselves right. But the way I like to do it is to be consistent in our process.
"Whether we're playing Wolves, whether we're playing Burnley tomorrow, whether we're playing Manchester City or Arsenal. Our process is the same. It has to be that way for you to be consistent in your performance."
Tosin Adarabioyo and Trevoh Chalobah during the Premier League match between Chelsea and Burnley at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea were pegged back by Burnley in stoppage time (Image: Izzy Poles - AMA/Getty Images)
On whether there's advantage in playing before Liverpool and Manchester United, who don't play until Sunday and Monday respectively, Rosenior said: "It's February. It's February.
"There's plenty of time. I swear, I've not even considered what time we're playing. We need to win our game. It's as simple as that. We need to do our job. It's not going to be simple.
"Burnley went away to Crystal Palace and won. We watched Wolves [vs Arsenal]. This is a strong league. We watched Wolves yesterday in their performance. We have to take care of our business regardless of what time we play."
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