Pochettino allays Reece James injury fears after Chelsea captain went off early

Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino said he substituted captain and right-back Reece James against Liverpool due to tiredness.

The England international came off in the Premier League clash after 76 minutes, looking like he was struggling. Malo Gusto replaced him.

It was not an unfamiliar sight to see James replaced as he has been dealing with injury issues.

James missed half of Chelsea’s games through injuries last term. He joined their pre-season preparations later than others due to illness after an injury scare.

However, Pochettino said after the player missed months of action on the sidelines and battled with pre-season, he was tired in his first game.

The Argentine manager said (via football.london): “The first thing we did when we arrived was to assess the players from the past.

“He was injured for three or four months, and pre-season was tough for him. Of course, we didn’t want to take any risk. We wanted to keep our way a little bit.”

James was impressive against the Merseyside club, as the Blues looked well-drilled and much improved from last season.

They recorded a 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge that should give them hope for the rest of the season.

After struggling in the opening minutes, they took the game by the horns and never let go.

The match demonstrated why both clubs are desperate to sign Moises Caicedo from Brighton & Hove Albion.

Chelsea are closing in on the Ecuadorian midfielder after he chose them over the Reds.

They will break the record fee they paid for midfielder Enzo Fernandez. The pair are expected to form the base of Chelsea’s midfield over the next few years.