18 October 2023 , 10:23
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Reece James is set to be ruled out of Chelsea's clash with Arsenal, handing boss Mauricio Pochettino a major injury blow.
Pochettino has struggled to inspire his side since taking over at Stamford Bridge in the summer. He made James his skipper soon after his arrival, but the right-back lasted just 76 minutes of the first game of the season before suffering a hamstring injury.
He has been sidelined ever since, but there had been hope he would be fit enough to make a comeback when the Blues host Arsenal this weekend. Those hopes have now been dashed though, with James not yet ready to return to action.
According to reports, James has sustained a fresh knock in training, which required a scan. Though the results came back all-clear, it has cast huge doubt over his availability for the visit of Mikel Arteta's high-flying Gunners.
With James set to be sidelined again, Malo Gusto is likely to come straight back into the starting line-up after the end of his suspension. Gusto was sent off in the defeat to Aston Villa, but had impressed before his reckless tackle on Lucas Digne.
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Though James is captain, Gusto is hoping to create a selection headache for Pochettino. The Frenchman insisted he is at "war" with James over a spot in the starting line-up, though hostilities have been paused with the skipper injured.
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Chelsea captain Reece James is set to miss Saturday's clash with Arsenal (Dave Shopland/REX/Shutterstock)“We give each other a lot of advice, he tries to help me and I try to help him as best I can. On the pitch, it’s war, he knows it very well, we don’t necessarily give each other any favors and it’s the best who will simply play,” Gusto told RMC.
“We are trying to create a real group that will move forward together to put Chelsea back where they need to be and win everything, When you are a young player, you try to fit in as best as possible and show that you can play and claim to be a great player.”
While Gusto will be keen to get back on the pitch following his suspension, Pochettino will be hoping he has taken the lessons from his sending off. Following the defeat to Villa, the Chelsea boss demanded his younger players, including Gusto and striker Nicolas Jackson, step up.
“We need to grow up like a team. A player like Nico is so young and is feeling the Premier League and is learning. He made the mistake. We feel disappointed because we are paying for too many situations like this," he said.
"I think we had control of the game. After the red card, the game changed. With 11 men and 10 men, it’s two different games. Being honest, it was in front of me but I didn’t see. I cannot say it wasn’t a red card.
"We need to trust the referee and the VAR. Difficult to judge because I didn’t see. It’s the player’s responsibility. We cannot blame the referee. But we cannot blame Malo Gusto because sometimes things happen in football.”