Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has reassured fans about the fitness of club captain Reece James, stating that the right-back is now strong enough to cope with a congested schedule despite a history of injuries.
Fans have long worried whenever James takes the field, as his career has been hampered by recurring hamstring and knee problems, which have limited his appearances for both club and country. However, Maresca’s latest comments suggest that James has regained the resilience needed to play regularly.
The 25-year-old recently logged 137 minutes in England’s World Cup qualifiers against Andorra and Serbia, starting both matches. While this was encouraging for Gareth Southgate’s team, some Chelsea supporters feared that the workload could affect James ahead of Saturday’s Premier League match against Brentford.
Maresca moved quickly to calm concerns, emphasizing the club’s careful management of player fitness. “When a player joins the international team, it’s up to that manager to decide the minutes they play,” he said. “Here at Chelsea, we manage him, Romeo [Lavia], Wes [Fofana], and others who’ve had past problems. Reece is now showing he can play two or three games a week.”
James has been a vital figure for Chelsea when fit, combining defensive reliability with the ability to drive forward and create chances. Keeping him consistently available has always been a challenge. While Malo Gusto has provided competent cover at right-back, James returning to full fitness gives the team a significant advantage, especially in demanding fixtures where his leadership and experience are key.
When asked if James would be ready to start against Brentford, Maresca was confident: “Yeah, he’s good.” This statement reflects the careful management of James’s recovery through the summer and into the current season.
For Chelsea fans, the prospect of James playing multiple matches per week is a welcome luxury. The England international has only played fewer than 30 league matches in a season once, highlighting how injury issues have repeatedly disrupted his progress.
The positive signs suggest that, if James maintains his fitness, Chelsea could enjoy a season with their captain consistently leading from the right flank. For Maresca, having a player of James’s quality available week in, week out, could be pivotal as Chelsea aim to climb higher in the Premier League standings.
