Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca wants to manage injury-prone Reece James well to get the best out of him.
Ahead of facing Tottenham Hotspur on Thursday, Maresca said that he wants to manage James’ fitness with care.
He said: “We want him fit until the end so the idea is to manage him until the end and then we will see in the future if we can go every day. But in this moment, we need him until the end, so we are managing him.
Maresca added: “Reece in another team is very, very young. In our team, probably a bit old but he is still very, very young. He’s 25 or 26, it’s a top age.”
James made his Chelsea debut in the 2019-20 season, making 24 Premier League appearances. Then for the next two seasons, the England international played injury-free to the level he did not miss many games.
James PL apps were 32 in the 2020-21 season and 26 in the following season.
However, since the 2022-23 season, he has not been able to play more than 16 games in a PL campaign.
Last season was the worst where James only played 10 times in the PL.
In the ongoing 2024-25 season, the 25-year-old right-back has appeared just 11 times in the English top-flight.
James is known for his ability to attack. In 199 PL outings overall, he has scored eight goals and provided 16 assists.
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