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Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca explained the reason behind the unnerving Reece James half-time substitution.
Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca explained why he substituted club captain Reece James after 45 minutes in the 5-0 drubbing of Morecambe.
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James shines in half the time
James started his first game for Chelsea since the 1-1 draw against Manchester United in this evening's FA Cup triumph over the League Two side.
It was also only his fifth appearance of the campaign as the England international has suffered from recurring injuries.
Hence, Chelsea fans were worried about another relapse when he was brought off after 45 minutes, despite having a strong half, in which he assisted Tosin Adarabioyo’s opener.
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Maresca, in his post-match press conference, however, allayed the fears, explaining that it was always the plan to play James, as well as Lavia, another player who has struggled with fitness, for only 45 minutes.
What Maresca said
"For him and Romeo Lavia, it was just to protect them. The idea was to play 45 minutes,” he told reporters. “Hopefully we can start from there and build some physical condition to be with us for the rest of the season.
"The idea is to slowly, slowly build the right condition, especially with Reece. “We have to be a little bit more careful. The good thing is that they both play 45 minutes, both finish well without any problem. Hopefully, now we can start to help them to build the right condition."
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