FILE PHOTO: Jul 24, 2024; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Chelsea defender Reece James (24) waits for play to resume during a match against Wrexham in the first half at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Gonzales-USA TODAY Sports/File Photo
(Reuters) - Chelsea captain Reece James has recovered from injury and is available to make his season debut at Liverpool in the Premier League on Sunday, manager Enzo Maresca said.
Defender James has struggled with hamstring injuries over the years, and started just five league games last season. He has not played since injuring his hamstring again during Chelsea's pre-season tour of the United States.
"(James) is available. Finally he is back," Maresca told reporters on Friday. "He worked with us all the international break and it's good news, especially for him because the injury is not a good feeling.
"Finally we have all the squad available apart from the suspended ones."
The Italian added that Chelsea would have to manage the 24-year-old's workload and restricting him to one game a week could help solve his recurring injury problem.
"In this moment I think it can be the solution now. In the future, I don't know," Maresca said.
"If we want to build something with him in terms of physicality and physical condition, probably the solution is to allow him to go slowly and to use him once a week and then hopefully in the future, we can use him more during the week."
Maresca also plans to manage the workloads of Romeo Lavia and Wesley Fofana in similar fashion.
The potential return of James is a timely boost for Chelsea's beleaguered back line, with Marc Cucurella and Fofana suspended after picking up their fifth yellow cards of the season.
Maresca's men have impressed in his debut season in charge, netting 16 goals, just one shy of Manchester City's league-leading 17, but have failed to beat Liverpool in their last five Premier League meetings, losing 4-1 at Anfield in January.
"We are going to approach the game not thinking where we are, but preparing the game in the best way to get points," he said.
"This game will not define where we are and in the event we lose? It's just a process, it's just a game. We will do our best."
(Reporting by Shifa Jahan in Bengaluru)
