Mauricio Pochettino reveals Chelsea have developed a ‘very good strategy’ to deal with Reece James’s injury problems with the club’s captain in contention for Arsenal clash

• Reece James has missed 90 games for Chelsea due to injuries and illness 
• Mauricio Pochettino said the club have devised a strategy to help their captain
•  Listen to the latest episode of Mail Sport’s podcast ‘It’s All Coming Up!’

Mauricio Pochettino is confident Chelsea have devised ‘a very good strategy’ to improve Reece James’s chances of avoiding injury.

Captain James is closing in on a return from a hamstring injury that has kept him out since Chelsea’s season opener against Liverpool and in with a chance of making the squad for Saturday’s derby against Arsenal.

James has been hit by a number of different issues in recent seasons, missing 90 games due to injury or illness since breaking into the Chelsea squad permanently in 2019/20.

Pochettino said: ‘We go too deep on this analysis but what we are trying to do is to avoid what you say [surgery].

‘We also have a very good strategy to put him at his best and keep him fit. It is impossible forever [to never be injured again]. Of course, always [I’m confident it will work].’

Mauricio Pochettino explained that Chelsea have built a strategy for keeping Reece James fit

James has been out since August with a hamstring injury but could be play against Arsenal 

Your browser does not support iframes.

Hamstring issues have been recurring for James but, on his latest, Pochettino said: ‘It is much better, much better, he is progressing well but still not at his best 100 percent. I think maybe he can help the team at some point – he is close to being there.’

Fitness-permitting, James is available for selection again after serving a one-match ban for using ‘improper, abusive and insulting’ words and behaviour in a confrontation with a match official after Chelsea’s 1-0 loss to Aston Villa.

James was out injured at the time and Pochettino said: ‘No [it was not a good moment], but it’s part of the business.

‘He was upset about the situation, and then you need to understand that he is so committed to this project from the beginning. He feels really bad because he cannot help the team.

He has missed 90 games through injury or illness since breaking into the first team 

James has served a ban for abusing an official after Chelsea’s 1-0 loss to Aston Villa, in which he did not play 

Pochettino said that ‘sometimes people make mistakes’ and James was ‘upset’ over the ban

IT’S ALL KICKING OFF! 

It’s All Kicking Off is an exciting new podcast from Mail Sport that promises a different take on Premier League football.

It is available on MailOnline, Mail+, YouTube, Apple Music and Spotify.

Your browser does not support iframes.

‘He made a mistake. He’s young. We can make mistakes, we are the first to say that. He was really sorry about it.

‘I think he’s not going to repeat the situation. Because of a few situations [in the game], they made him feel so bad.

‘Myself … against Burnley I got a yellow card. You can say ‘you have experience, you are 50 years old, sorry 51!’ And sometimes we make mistakes. [This is] A young guy that wants to play football and is frustrated because he cannot help the team. He was frustrated in this moment and he made a mistake. That’s it. Finish.’

Source: Read Full Article