Chelsea Boss Reveals Reece James Plan After Carabao Cup Substitution 

Chelsea boss, Mauricio Pochettino has reveal Reece James’ return plan after the full-back was taken off just after the hour mark against Blackburn in the Carabao Cup.

Pochettino is adopting a cautious strategy with James who made his second start of the season following a lengthy injury layoff during the Blues’ 2-0 victory over Blackburn, thanks to goals from Benoit Badiashile and Raheem Sterling.

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“The plan was to check at half-time how (James) was feeling, and after 15 minutes he starts to feel tired and we’re checking from the second half, and we need to be careful how we manage him,” he told reporters.

“We decided to make the change because I think it is important now, the progression, and being careful about not going back, sometimes (you) play 90 minutes and maybe take some risks, but we need to avoid this. It’s true that we cannot 100 per cent avoid risk, but the plan is to go little by little.”

Pochettino said that having James back in the mix improved the mood in the stadium and raised the team’s morale, which was psychologically significant.

“Is really important, always. When you decide that he’s your captain it is important that they stay fit, can play and help the team,” he said.

“He’s an important player for us. He’s an amazing player, for me one of the best full-backs in the world. Unlucky that he only played 70-75 minutes against Liverpool in the first game and until today didn’t play. The temptation is okay, come on go and play 90 minutes but we need to be careful. Little by little he is going to get fit and cope with the demand of the games.’

It’s unclear how Pochettino will handle Reece James when Chelsea travels to north London on Monday to play Tottenham in the Premier League.