Photo by James Williamson - AMA/Getty Images
Photo by James Williamson - AMA/Getty Images
Winstanley and Stewart for Chelsea
Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images
Photo by Vince Mignott/MB Media/Getty Images
Photo by Vince Mignott/MB Media/Getty Images
Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images
Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images
Photo by SEBASTIEN BOZON / AFP via Getty Images
Photo by SEBASTIEN BOZON / AFP via Getty Images
Photo by Jacques Feeney/Offside/Offside via Getty Images
Photo by Jacques Feeney/Offside/Offside via Getty Images
Reece James is expected to remain sidelined for several months after undergoing knee surgery. James suffered the injury in training ahead of Chelsea’s 5-1 victory over Bournemouth on Saturday afternoon.
James has played in six of Chelsea’s eight games in all competitions this season, with all but one appearance coming in central midfield. The Blues lack midfield depth after Enzo Fernandez’s departure, but James’ injury history was likely the biggest factor in his deployment there.
Xabi Alonso has predominantly set Chelsea up in a 3-4-3 formation this season, with no orthodox full-backs. This means James would either have to play in the back three, limiting his offensive output, or operate as a wing-back and cover plenty of ground on the right flank.
Although James excelled at wing-back under Thomas Tuchel, his body may no longer be able to withstand that workload. Therefore, moving him into midfield made sense, where he previously thrived during his loan spell at Wigan.
However, Alonso made a tactical adjustment against Bournemouth that saw Pedro Neto take up a different position on the right. This would have perfectly suited James moving forward, had he been available to the Spanish coach.
READ MORE:Why Liam Rosenior can consider himself extremely unlucky after seeing Xabi Alonso’s Chelsea
With Reece James injured AGAIN, is it time to strip him of the captaincy? 😕 If so, who are you giving it to?
No timeline has been given for his return…
jonathan.gorrie
Jordan Henderson! There's a reason he keeps getting picked by top managers, so may as well use it!
Reece James suffers knee injury after Xabi Alonso tactical breakthrough
In Xabi Alonso’s initial 3-4-3 system, Pedro Neto was asked to defend as a wing-back in a back five and attack as a winger in a front four. While Neto, Malo Gusto and Marco Palestra have the legs to perform both roles, it would have been unwise to ask Reece James to do the same.
However, after Brentford exploited the space behind Chelsea’s wing-backs before the international break to secure a 3-0 win, Alonso made some adjustments against Bournemouth. The Blues defended in a 4-4-2, with Neto in right midfield and Morgan Rogers on the left.
While the formation change worked and Neto played fairly well, the most exciting prospect was the possibility of starting James in that role moving forward. The 26-year-old could venture forward and showcase his elite finishing and crossing, which he has not shown since Thomas Tuchel’s tenure.
Defending as a right midfielder would also match James up against opposing full-backs rather than wingers and allow him to cover less ground. This would hopefully preserve his legs, particularly his hamstrings, as they have repeatedly troubled him during his Chelsea career.
Thankfully for Alonso, Neto, Gusto and Palestra all provide solid options in James’ absence, but the Blues captain will be sorely missed. Following this latest setback, it feels as though James has missed an excellent opportunity to excel in a role perfectly suited to him.