Chelsea were without their captain, Reece James, during Sunday’s Premier League match against Leicester City.
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James had delivered an impressive performance in Chelsea’s Europa Conference League win over Copenhagen on Thursday, scoring a brilliant goal in the 2-1 victory. ..Continue Reading
However, the 25-year-old missed the Leicester fixture at Stamford Bridge, having reported a high fever and feeling unwell. He was not fit enough to feature and had informed the club’s medical staff of his condition.
James was one of seven changes made by Enzo Maresca from the midweek match, with Malo Gusto also unavailable due to injury.
Players like Trevoh Chalobah, Benoit Badiashile, Tyrique George, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, and Shim Mheuka were moved to the bench, while Wesley Fofana, Levi Colwill, Marc Cucurella, Pedro Neto, Jadon Sancho, and Christopher Nkunku were brought into the starting lineup.
Chelsea aimed to strengthen their bid for a top-four finish against Maresca’s former team, Leicester City, who are currently struggling in the relegation zone.
Chelsea have secured victories in their last four meetings with Leicester but have been inconsistent lately, suffering three defeats in their last five league games.
Meanwhile, Ruud van Nistelrooy’s Leicester are in poor form, with four consecutive losses and sitting six points away from safety ahead of this clash.
Despite missing the Leicester match due to illness, James may still be included in England’s squad for next week, as Thomas Tuchel is set to announce his first team selection since taking over from Sir Gareth Southgate.
Former Chelsea and England star Joe Cole, speaking after James’ outstanding display against Copenhagen, expressed hope that the defender would return to the national team soon.
James, who debuted for England in 2020, has earned 16 caps but has not played for the Three Lions since 2023, largely due to recurring injuries and intense competition for the right-back role.
‘He will have the respect of every player at Chelsea because of what he can do technically and physically,’ Cole told TNT Sports after the 2-1 win.
‘When he was at his best, he was as good as anyone in the world, no doubt about that. It’s just about him finding his inner peace and managing him into games.
‘He can play in midfield, he did it when he was on loan at Wigan and got Player of the Year there as a young kid. He looks comfortable there.
‘He’s got so much to offer Chelsea and so much to offer England. It’s so great to see him impacting the game like he did tonight.
‘Don’t give up on Reece James because there is still a real, real world-class player in there who can be a massive player for Chelsea and England. Hopefully he can keep going now.’
