Chelsea captain Reece James was taken off at halftime against Burnley at the weekend.

Some were worried that the fullback had suffered an injury, but head coach Enzo Maresca was quick to play down such concerns after the match, stating that the substitution was always part of the plan:

“The idea was to manage Reece. This is the reason why he played 45 minutes [only]. It was planned.”

“It’s not easy, because me personally I would like Reece to continue, but we need to protect Reece.”

Expected Return Date – Tuesday 25th November vs Barcelona (h)