This Saturday, in the Premier League match against Brentford, Reece James might start for Chelsea for the first time in more than two months. Just a few days after the Blues’ season-opening match against Liverpool, the captain of the team suffered an injury in training. As a result, Mauricio Pochettino had to play Malo Gusto in the captain’s role and give up captain duties elsewhere.
This is precisely the reason Gusto was signed by the west Londoners earlier this year from Lyon and then loaned back to the French club, given James’ history of injury problems. Gusto, who received two assists in the 3-0 victory over Luton Town, has played admirably in the 23-year-old’s absence. However, his stint in the starting lineup was hampered by a red card against Aston Villa in September.
Consequently, Gusto and James missed three games each, with Marc Cucurella being selected to replace the latter. Although the Spain international was able to demonstrate that he deserves a spot in the starting lineup by playing left-back against Arsenal after playing on the other side for three games, the move seemed to make very little sense on the surface.
Gusto returned to the starting lineup for the London Derby last weekend, but James, who has been back in full squad training for more than a week, may be headed for an early return to the sidelines after his appearance of six minutes plus added time off the bench against the Gunners.
With another week under his belt at Cobham, a start might be imminent. The most recent training video features James in action and looking really proficient. In a brief match captured on Chelsea’s official TikTok account, James can be seen controlling the play and executing several brilliant passes that resulted in goals being scored.
One play has an incredible pass to Noni Madueke, who is then seen a few seconds later putting the ball into the path of what appears to be Deivid Washington for a goal. Chelsea fans were amazed by their captain’s ability to make things seem so easy, even though it was only a brief reminder of his abilities when @FelixJohnston posted on X (previously Twitter): “Literally just a training drill but Reece James is moving me.”
Additionally, @TrevorMMA2234 said, “He’s the best RB in the world, every time he plays.” @Salayisaidso also boldly that James and Gusto be included, saying, “Hear me out, midfield 3 he replaces Gallagher so Gusto can play.” Considering how much Pochettino adores Gallagher, the latter seems improbable, but it will be intriguing to see how he handles James’s return.
Pochettino will also be looking forward to Christopher Nkunku’s injured return. The Blues forward hasn’t played in a league match since suffering an injury during the preseason. Chelsea supporters have found great joy in the most recent clip, which shows the Frenchman regaining strength in his injured knee. The player has been posting updates from the gym on a regular basis.
Nkunku was spotted on Thursday taking pictures with some Cobham supporters while the team was dressed in full Chelsea training gear. It was great to watch Nkunku intensifying his recuperation with the hopes of returning before the year ends, even though a return to participating in the club’s training sessions is still a ways off.