Reece James injury is one of the factors that dampened Chelsea’s fantastic statistics this season. Of course, the Blues were so close to Manchester City and Liverpool, as regards battling for the Premier League title. Meanwhile, the team had a major setback when James and Ben Chilwell were injured, because these two players are essential to the squad.
Chelsea are expected to fight tooth and nail with Manchester City and Liverpool next season. Apparently, they will have to deal with injury issues in their squad, and the Englishman’s injury remains one of their major concerns. The West London club would have to find a way to protect the right-back from several injuries. So as to be able to enjoy him in the team next campaign.
Reece James Injury In 2021-2022:
The Blues academy product literally had four different injuries this season. He was deprived of playing regularly, primarily because of injuries like hamstrings, muscle, and fitness. Of course, the Englishman’s absence didn’t do any good for the Chelsea squad this campaign. And the Blues suffered greatly for it.
Reece James missed 19 games for Chelsea in the 2021-2022 campaign, and he was unavailable for 74 days. In all honesty, the Thomas Tuchel’s side can not continue with the English right-back injury issues. So, they are expected to find ways to make him injury-free, in all competitions in the upcoming season.
Frankly, the player would have been nominated for the Premier League Young Player of the Season award. But the injury deprived him of being nominated, as he was unavailable for almost 80 days. Meanwhile, hamstring remains Reece James injury problem. He was off the pitch for almost 50 days this season due to a hamstring injury only.
How Reece James Injury Affected Chelsea’s Performance This Season
The 22-year-old English right-back has played 42 Premier League games for Chelsea this campaign. But, he missed many important matches for the West London club. As a result, his unavailability dropped the team’s performance, particularly under the formation of 3-4-3.
Chelsea lost Reece James to injury in December last year. And the Thomas Tuchel’s men haven’t been the same since last year. The formation of 3-4-3 requires brilliant and sharp wing-backs, which explains why the Blues always dazzle amazingly with James and Chilwell on the pitch. So, everything went haywire for the West London club, because César Azpilicueta isn’t really a standard wing-back.
The Englishman’s first comeback from injury was against Burnley in March. And they defeated the Clarets 4-0, in which James was on the scoresheet. Aside from that, Ben Chilwell and his countryman have a combined total of more than 15 goal contributions, in 21 Premier League starts this campaign. So, the Thomas Tuchel’s side would have to protect the player next season, to be able to fly high in Europe’s top-5 leagues.
Reece James injury always has a huge stigma on the team’s performance, because nobody can handle the right-wing-back position like him. The 22-year-old right-back usually improves the team’s offensive display. He can cut, dribble and cause havoc inside the opponent’s box. Meanwhile, no Chelsea player was able to add such qualities to the team. And the whole squad was dampened without the Englishman.
Reece James Injury – How Chelsea Could Protect The Player From Several Injuries Next Season
Changing Of Formation
The formation of 3-4-3 or 3-5-2 burns players, especially the wing-backs, because they always run back and forth. As a result, the change in formation will reduce Reece James’ chances of getting injured back-to-back next season.
Of course, Chelsea have some latest centre-backs on their radar ahead of the summer, which means they may go back to the formation of 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 in 2022-2023. And, that’s the only way they will be able to protect the player from multiple injuries.
With four defenders at the back. Reece James wouldn’t have to be offensive and defensive at the same time. So, it will make him play as a right-back instead of a right-wing-back. Since the Englishman is irreplaceable under Thomas Tuchel, the German manager is expected to switch formations next campaign.
A Standard Backup
Obviously, Reece James can not really play a full season without getting injured. So, Chelsea need to sign a standard backup for him next season, in order to relieve him from playing without a rest. Of course, César Azpilicueta is most likely to leave Stamford Bridge. So, signing a new right-back should be a priority for the West London club.
Chelsea’s banking of the Englishman next season won’t be smart, because they won’t be able to keep the player safe. Meanwhile, Reece James injury may not be common in the 2022-2023 campaign with a standard backup. There will be a player who will switch position with the 22-year-old right-back in the squad.