Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca is weighing up a major selection dilemma as his side prepare to face Brentford this weekend. The Italian must decide whether to start captain Reece James, who played heavily for England during the international break.
James featured for over an hour in both of the Three Lions’ wins against Andorra and Serbia, with national team boss Thomas Tuchel relying on him as a key figure. While this is encouraging for the player’s confidence, it raises fresh concerns about his workload given his history of injuries.
Although James has avoided setbacks so far in 2025, Chelsea have been careful in managing his recovery. Maresca and the medical staff are determined not to risk overuse, especially with the Champions League returning next week when Chelsea travel to face Bayern Munich.
The Blues do have cover in the right-back position. Malo Gusto has already started two of the opening three league matches, while youngster Josh Acheampong is also an option. With that depth available, Maresca may opt to rest James to protect him for bigger challenges ahead.
Last October, Maresca admitted that repeated injuries meant James could realistically only play once a week, similar to Romeo Lavia and Wesley Fofana. He stressed that Chelsea’s long-term plan is to gradually build up the captain’s fitness before asking him to handle the demands of back-to-back fixtures.
Given the busy schedule, starting James against Brentford looks like an unnecessary risk — and one Maresca seems unlikely to take.
