Enzo Maresca finally reveals the smart reason he has been using Reece James in midfield | OneFootball

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has finally been explaining the reason why he has been using Reece James in midfield, and it’s pretty smart.

The Blues have a huge game to play in the Premier League tonight against London rivals Tottenham, and the game has become even bigger now after some results in the league last night. Chelsea fans are starting to fear the worst after Newcastle and Manchester City both won last night to leapfrog them in the league standings and put The Blues down to sixth place.

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However, it is very much in Chelsea’s hands right now because if they beat Spurs tonight at Stamford Bridge, then they reclaim their position in fourth place for now. A draw will put them above Newcastle in fifth place, but a defeat will leave them exactly where they are now in sixth and that will see a worrying slog ahead for the season run in. Make no mistake, tonight has now become MASSIVE for Chelsea.

In other news today, Chelsea are once again being linked with a move to sign Wolves striker Matheus Cunha in the summer, although this one seems a bit unrealistic in my view.

I can’t see James starting in midfield tonight, but Maresca has been explaining why he does use him there sometimes and really, it is a good reason.

Maresca managing James

Reece James fires one in from range. (Photo by Patrik Lundin/Getty Images)

Maresca explains a possible way Reece James can benefit from being deployed in midfield:

“Full-backs when they play up and down, they spend much more [energy] than when they go inside, for big distances and for the amount of times they go up and down.”

“For sure the way we are using him in some games can help him…With Reece in this moment, he is working quite well. He is playing right full-back, left full-back, midfielder, it’s not only one. We have more players that play in different positions, so we are happy and hopefully the way we are using Reece, we are helping him to be fit.

“The idea is to try to continue with him and not to use him every three days, because we want to help him be fit at least until the end of the season, and then from there to see if we can start and go again every three days.”

“Every day our medical staff speak with him to see how he is, to see if he is able to train, if it’s good, if it’s not good. In the last weeks he is training every day, he is good, and this is the reason why we are happy.”

Quotes via Chelsea Dodgers on X.