Liam Rosenior watched Chelsea and Reece James throw away three points against Burnley on Saturday.
Chelsea were beating Scott Parker’s side 1-0 and were in control of the game, but another red card this season has proven costly.
Wesley Fofana was sent off in the 72nd minute before Burnley went on to grab an equaliser in stoppage time.
Who starts in place of Wesley Fofana against Arsenal?🤔
Wesley Fofana's replacement after Chelsea red card
Photo by Nigel French/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images
Burnley’s goalscorer Zian Flemming was interviewed after the game and expressed his disappointment over the result, feeling that his side could have actually won the match.
Zian Flemming of Burnley celebrates
Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images
Liam Rosenior wants Reece James fresh for Arsenal
One of Chelsea’s best players, James, was substituted towards the end of the Premier League fixture, a decision that many supporters may have disagreed with.
However, Rosenior was concerned about fatigue ahead of the Blues’ next game against Arsenal.
Speaking in his post-match press conference, which has been shared by football.london, the Chelsea manager said: “Reece, it was just honestly, he’s so important to us as the captain, as the world-class player that he is. Any sign of fatigue with him, I want to get him off the pitch.
“I need him for Arsenal. He should be absolutely fine. And with Estevao, we’re doing our assessments and scans on him now.”
In the end, it was a very disappointing afternoon for Rosenior and his side, who are now relying on Everton to beat Manchester United in order to stay fourth in the Premier League table.
During the game, Rosenior was really unhappy, showing his discontentment during one phase of play involving Moises Caicedo and a few other players. The good news is James is not injured, with the 41-year-old just being cautious with him.
Liam Rosenior manager / head coach of Chelsea and Reece James
Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images
Reece James’ crossing far from accurate against Burnley
Despite being a full-back, James is a really good attacker who can put fantastic balls into the box.
However, James’ crossing against Burnley did not do too much damage. James attempted eight crosses, none of which were successful.
When Chelsea face Arsenal next weekend, hopefully Joao Pedro and Chelsea’s other attackers are able to connect with their captain’s crosses.
Joao Pedro strikes again!
How does Joao Pedro rank amongst other striker signings in recent history?
Diego Costa, Fernando Torres and Romelu Lukaku come to mind…
Joao Pedro of Chelsea celebrates scoring
Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images
Pedro could not do so on Saturday, but he was at least able to score Chelsea’s only goal of the match, his 11th in the Premier League this season. At this rate, the Brazilian could hit the 20-goal mark.
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