Enzo Maresca addresses potential Reece James change in position at Chelsea
The 24-year-old Chelsea captain is set to potentially make his season debut this weekend.
Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca wants Reece James to prove his fitness before deciding on the best way to deploy the right-back in his system.
Maresca has emphasized that Reece James must demonstrate full fitness before he determines how to best incorporate the defender into his tactical setup.
The club captain is yet to play a single minute of competitive action this season after suffering a relapse on a troublesome hamstring injury which he underwent surgery for last December that ultimately ruled him out for the majority of the 2023/34 campaign.
James has not featured in any matches this season due to a recurring hamstring injury that required surgery last December, which kept him sidelined for much of the 2023/24 season.
In James’ absence, a lot has changed in west London. Most notably the head coach and with that a new style of play has been introduced with the Italian tactician preferring to utilise a full-back moving inside to overload the centre and dominate possession.
Since James has been unavailable, Chelsea has undergone significant changes, including a new head coach, Enzo Maresca, who has implemented a tactical approach that involves using full-backs to move centrally and control possession.
This has been evident with Malo Gusto, in particular, inverting from his right-back position into the central midfield spaces which in turn sees the back line adjust to form a trio when Chelsea are in possession.
Malo Gusto has exemplified this strategy by frequently moving from his right-back role into central midfield areas, causing Chelsea’s defensive line to shift into a three-man setup during their attacks.
Now that James is back and available for selection, once fully fit he will be out to reclaim his spot in what promises to be an intriguing battle with the aforementioned Frenchman who has deputised extremely well in the England international’s long absence.
As James nears a return to fitness, he will aim to reclaim his position, potentially facing stiff competition from Malo Gusto, who has performed admirably in James’s absence.
Having said that, James will have to adapt to a new role as under previous managers such as Thomas Tuchel and Mauricio Pochettino, he’s been predominately used as an attack-minded full-back often instructed to offer with down the right-hand side as opposed to drifting into midfield.
James may need to adjust to a different playing style, as previous Chelsea managers like Thomas Tuchel and Mauricio Pochettino primarily utilized him as an offensive full-back focusing on wide play, rather than moving into central areas.
The question as to if the 24-year-old will be able to fit in the same role was posed to Maresca during a news conference ahead of Chelsea’s game against Liverpool and the Italian simply wanted to focus on ensuring the defender returns to full fitness before discussing tactical plans.
When asked if James could adapt to the new role in Maresca’s system, the coach responded that his priority is for James to recover fully before considering specific tactical adjustments.
“First of all, he has to be fit and then slowly we will see,” Maresca said. “The most important thing for Reece is he is finally fit and then we will see how we will use him. We have many players that are versatile and can play in different positions.”
Maresca stated that the immediate focus is on ensuring James reaches peak fitness, and once that is achieved, they will evaluate the best way to use him within the team’s system, highlighting that several players in the squad have the versatility to play multiple roles.
Ultimately, James has all the tools to perform as an inverted right-back to a high standard. After all, despite only operating at right-back throughout his career at Stamford Bridge, he has experience as a central midfielder from his loan spell with Wigan Athletic.
James has the necessary skills to excel as an inverted right-back, supported by his past experience playing as a central midfielder during his loan spell with Wigan Athletic, despite primarily being utilized as a right-back at Chelsea.
