How will Reece James' absence hinder Chelsea and Xabi Alonso?

Sky Sports News

How will Reece James' absence affect Chelsea and Xabi Alonso?

The video looks at Reece James' latest knee surgery and long absence, and what it means for Chelsea's captaincy and squad. The guest discusses James' best position, whether he can still influence the team while injured, Alonso's early tenure, and Chelsea's targets this season and beyond. The conclusion is that James' absence is a major blow, but he can still lead off the pitch; Champions League qualification is the benchmark this season, with title contention possible in the next one to two years.

► Subscribe to Sky Sports News: http://bit.ly/SkySportsNewsSub ► Watch Sky Sports with NOW: https://bit.ly/NOWSkySportsYT The Premier League Show panel discuss how will Reece James' absence might hinder Chelsea and Xabi Alonso. 00:00 Alonso thoughts 02:10 Big blow to Chelsea 05:00 James' injuries football premierleague chelsea ► For the latest developments on this story: https://qrcode.skysports.com/skysports/topstories ► For the latest transfer news: https://qrcode.skysports.com/skysports/TransferCentre More from Sky Sports on YouTube: ► Sky Sports: http://bit.ly/SkySportsSub ► Sky Sports Boxing: http://bit.ly/SSBoxingSub ► Sky Sports Cricket: http://bit.ly/SubscribeSkyCricket ► Sky Sports Darts: https://bit.ly/SubSkySportsDarts ► Sky Sports Football: http://bit.ly/SSFootballSub ► Sky Sports F1: http://bit.ly/SubscribeSkyF1 ► Sky Sports Golf: https://bit.ly/SubscribeSkySportsGolf ► Sky Sports Premier League: https://bit.ly/SubscribeSkySportsPL ► Sky Sports Retro: http://bit.ly/SkySportsRetroSub ► Sky Sports WSL: https://bit.ly/SubscribeSkySportsWSL ► TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@skysportsnews ► X: https://x.com/SkySportsNews ► Website: https://www.skysports.com ► To enquire about licensing Sky Sports content, you can find out more here: https://www.skysports.com/more-sports/news/31754/11434270/license-sky-sports-footage

Transcript

Welcome back to the Premier League [music] show. Now, Ree James has suffered another major injury setback. The Chelsea captain has been ruled out for three months after having knee surgery. James was injured in training before Chelsea's 5-1 win over Bournemouth last weekend. >> We are all disappointed especially for him. He wanted to to have a good start after the the international break, but in the last training he picked an injury. We wanted to be cautious and to wait to to know the the result of the tests. But now the surgeries has been has been well has been successful. >> How long are you expecting him to be out for? Because there's a suggestion that it could be 3 months perhaps. >> We don't have the exact it will be several weeks for sure. It's not going to be short. It's not going to be two 3 weeks things. It's going to be it's going to be longer and after we will we will see before Christmas after Christmas. Time will tell. things uh have to be done properly, that he feels right and that that knee is in a in the best possible condition. >> Previous Chelsea manager suggested that whilst Ree was out injured for for appearance several years ago, he expected more than he got from him as his as his captain in terms of leadership around the squad. And I think the suggestion was that maybe Bruce wasn't maybe for pyat >> one of your predecessors. >> Who? >> It was Enzel Moresca. >> Okay. >> How confident are you that you'll get what you need from your captain during this period? >> I'm very confident because I think that he [snorts] he's so proud to be playing for this club. He's so proud to to to reach this moment because he's he's played many years. So he's gone through different stages and now the to take that responsibility in a in a very natural way with his own the way the his own way of leadership but he's so respected by his teammates and and as well he has the support from the other ones. >> Yeah, it must be so frustrating Steve not only for the player but for Shabby Alonzo as well when you see Ree James a player that possesses so much quality but another long period out of the team again. Yeah, it's it's it's heartbreaking for the player more than anything. I mean, one of the you know, these guys that get paid a lot of money and they're out there and and they're they're playing football for a living, which is a great life, but they are human as well. And when you get a bad injury like this, it sets you back mentally and physically. It's it's devastating. It really is. So, it's a big blow for him and the team. He >> He's been used as a central midfielder by Shab Alonso this season. We all know about his qualities in midfield and in the fullback area as well. Longer term now. I think he's 26 years old now. Longer term. Now, where do you see his his best position and where he can be of most influence? >> Um, yeah, if if to stay injuryfree, maybe that six role, the pivot role where he can sit in and not run about as much. I mean, you play on the wings now at fullback, the the amount of distance you have to cover up and down, the change of direction, you come against tricky wingers and um it may be that he slots into that sixth position a little bit more comfortably. But I wouldn't want to label him with any position at the moment. Even now, I just let him get himself fit and then be ready for selection and use him where you can. >> He was asked that question about whether he hadn't he had done enough as a captain under a previous regime. He asked who that was. Endo Moresca had basically implied that about Rhys James. Shabi Alonzo doesn't share that view. He is the club captain. How influential can he still be when he's injured? Have you had examples when you must have had influential players, captains who have been missing for a long period of time, but have still had that input within the team off the pitch? >> Yeah. The the so many examples, too many to mention because they're a captain for a reason. Now, the the the the example with James is with Rhys James is that this is a while ago. Now he's had time to learn from that. And how do you learn? You make a mistake. You learn from it. You move on. You don't make the same mistake twice. you become a better person, a better leader. Um I'm sure this time around he'll understand his role within the group a lot more. He'll be more confident with that. He's got a lot more um credibility in the dressing room because of what he's done as a player. And and look, his first and foremost thing and and the support he'll get off his teammates is to try and get himself fit because he'll be hurting. There's no question. But then as you start to get fit and as you start to come through the injury, then you can start to to lean on the other players and be a lot more of a voice. I mean, recently we've seen Jordan Henderson who's been used in this similar sort of reason. Um, who's an exceptional leader and is very selfless in his outlook and and can help the team even when he's not playing or even when he's injured. >> Yeah. So, it is another injury for James and Dave has been looking at whether things had been improving for the Chelsea captain before this latest setback. >> Yes, thank you. Now, Reys James injured again, but who are the players to have missed the most Premier League games over the last four years might surprise you. Let's talk about James to start with, though. And look, Chelsea fans, you don't need me to tell you that you have got used to managing without Ree James over the last few years. We've got his minutes as a percentage of total squad playing time in the Premier League since he broke through in 201920. Played 44% of total available minutes that season. And then it rose actually to 69% as he really established himself in that Chelsea side. But as you can see, injuries, selection issues as well cailed some of his appearances and minutes played all the way down at 12% in 2023 24. But if [clears throat] we fast forward actually to 2526 last year, Chelsea got some good playing time out of James compared to some of these previous campaigns. They managed his workload pretty well and he started this season in the same way really at 54% of total minutes available that he has played until this latest setback. So then how does James compare to the rest of the division? We've got a list of the players who have suffered the most injuries individually since the start of the Premier League season in 2022 23. the last four years and it can range from all the way from a a knock just a slight niggle all the way up to a longerterm more serious injury and this also includes illnesses as well. So injuries and illness you can see Alexander Isac right at the top with 21 different individual issues in that time followed actually by a pair of Aston Villa players Amodu Anana and Matty Cash Reese James also on the list there with 18. How does that translate into number of Premier League games missed? We're including top division active players only in this and Chelsea have three of the top seven. Romeo Lavia, Wesley Vafana, and Reese James is there too. >> Are you not entertained? Uh just sticking to the Premier League, Steve scored 15, conceded 13. You're getting quite a lot of value for your season ticket there, aren't you? Um I know it's a very small sample size, but are you liking what you're seeing from Shabby Alonzo this early in his Chelsea reign? It's great to watch. It's great entertainment. That's for sure. I am I am liking it. Yeah. I mean, the things I'm getting out from the inside at Chelsea from coaches and players is that he's highly respected, well-liked, and um they really believe in his knowledge. So, I don't really know him and and it's a very small period of time for me to assess him as a coach, but the word from inside is that yeah, very impressive, very impressive coach. uh at the start of the season with with all of the signings that they made, a lot of people were very optimistic about what Chelsea were going to do this season. What does success look like for them? Do you think? >> I think they will be saying that success looks like a Champions League qualification spot. I think they'll need to get back into that arena. I think the club want that. The money that they've spent would demand that and I think the coach would expect that from his group and from him himself. Um, if they can pick up a trophy on route and Chelsea have a habit of winning trophies, don't they? So, if they can pick up a trophy on route, then that'll be even better. That'd be icing on the cake. >> Uh, with the players that they've got and and the resources that they've got as well, are you seeing the trajectory perhaps in the next season or the next two seasons for them to really be challenging >> not just for Champions League, but for the title itself and maybe Champions League as well? >> Yes. So, looking at the age profile of the team, yes. Um, I thought they made a very good sign in the goalkeeper, Martinez. I think it gives them experience and solidity at the back, which they didn't have. Um, you it gives you confidence that you can get a clean sheet. Um, they'll recruit well again, I would think, or um, they'll spend the money, let's put it that way. uh if they get the right players in with the youngsters that are coming through and the flare that they've got then I think the the future looks very