Reece James fires back after Chelsea captain criticism – Read Chelsea F.C.
Reece James has opened up on the difficulty of his latest injury recovery after Gary Neville and Roy Keane raised concerns over the Chelsea captain’s availability.
James suffered another hamstring problem during England’s World Cup campaign and missed three matches before returning against Norway.
The 26-year-old admitted he faced an uncertain wait while completing an accelerated rehabilitation programme away from the rest of Thomas Tuchel’s squad.
He eventually played almost 50 minutes across midfield and right-back as England secured a 2-1 extra-time victory in the quarter-final.
A Football.London report details James’ response to the latest debate, which followed criticism from Neville and Keane over his repeated fitness problems.
Alonso keeps faith with Chelsea captain
James’ injury record has often dominated the discussion around his ability.
However, his quality and influence remain clear whenever he is available. Tuchel trusted him to start England’s World Cup semi-final against Argentina shortly after his return.
James played for more than 80 minutes before appearing to suffer discomfort late in the 2-1 defeat. England are due to face France in Saturday’s third-place play-off.
Chelsea will assess him before he joins Xabi Alonso’s pre-season preparations.
The new head coach has already removed any uncertainty over James’ leadership role. As Read Chelsea reported, Alonso confirmed the academy graduate will remain captain and praised his “blue DNA”.
Alonso also highlighted James’ ability to operate inside, overlap from right-back and deliver from set-pieces.
The focus will now return to managing his workload. Chelsea need their captain available consistently, but rushing him through another recovery would risk creating the same problem.
James has spent much of his career answering questions about his fitness. Alonso’s public backing gives him the opportunity to change the conversation through his performances next season.
