Reece James, a right-back for Chelsea, has been omitted from Graham Potter’s squad for Saturday’s Premier League matchup with Southampton. The English defender just came back from a second knee injury that lasted a long time.
James has played in the Blues’ last three games, two draws in the league and a loss to Borussia Dortmund in the UEFA Champions League. Fans will be concerned about his absence during a season marred by injuries. The Athletic, on the other hand, says that Potter made the decision as a precaution as Chelsea tries to control the fullback’s minutes.
On his return to fitness, James has already played more minutes than he had anticipated. James appeared in both the 1-0 defeat to Dortmund on Wednesday (February 15) and the 1-1 draw with West Ham United on Saturday (February 11). In October, during a 2-0 victory over AC Milan, he suffered his first knee injury.
On December 27, during the 2-0 victory over Bournemouth, he briefly returned. He did, however, suffer a setback, getting hit again on the knee. Due to his second injury, the young right-back missed England’s 2022 World Cup campaign in Qatar. In a disappointing season, the Chelsea defender has been a standout performer for his team.
The Blues are currently tenth in the league, ten points behind fourth-place Newcastle United. James has scored twice and assisted twice in 15 games across all competitions. James is expected to be rested by the Blues in February’s crucial London matchup with rivals Tottenham Hotspur. In addition, they must defeat Dortmund in the second leg of their UEFA Champions League semifinal match on March 7.
Despite Potter’s claim that Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is an important player, he was left out of the squad for Chelsea :
Since spending £10.8 million to move from Barcelona to Stamford Bridge last summer, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has had a miserable time there. In 18 competitive games, the Gabonese striker has only scored once. The forward’s desire to return to Barcelona has led to speculation about his future, according to SPORT.
The Blaugrana, on the other hand, has other things in mind. In the meantime, talk of a move to Los Angeles FC has also surfaced. Despite this, Potter insisted prior to the match against Southampton that Aubameyang is a crucial member of the team :
“Pierre is still a significant part of this team; There is no set formula; His disposition has been excellent.” However, the Mirror reports that Aubameyang has been left out of Chelsea’s squad for their match against Southampton. He was also dropped from the Blues’ squad for the UEFA Champions League knockout phase.