CHELSEA boss Mauricio Pochettino has confirmed Reece James will return from injury and start against Blackburn Rovers.
The Blues take on Blackburn on Wednesday at Stamford Bridge in the Carabao Cup’s Round of 16 as Pochettino looks to win the trophy amid a poor Premier League campaign.
Reece James will start for Chelsea against Blackburn Rovers in the Carabao CupReuters
Chelsea ace Ben Chilwell was sent to Los Angeles for a change of sceneryGetty
Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino is set for a major injury boostGetty
The West Londoners have slumped to 11th place in the Prem but are hoping their fortunes will change with James set to start for the first time since the season opener against Liverpool in August.
The Chelsea captain recently overcame a hamstring injury and made two cameos off the bench against Arsenal, where he played six minutes, and Brentford, where he got 23 minutes, this month.
Pochettino said: “I can confirm he [James] is going to start. The captain is ready.
“It’s good for the team, it’s good for him to start from the beginning. We can see after, checking always how he is performing.”
This also poses as a major boost that could relieve Chelsea from the so-called “Reece James curse” as the England international has not won a Premier League game in 2023.
If Pochettino’s side beat Blackburn then that won’t break the 23-year-old’s hoodoo, but it could lead to the “curse” being finally lifted on Monday at Tottenham.
The Argentine tactician also confirmed Ben Chilwell is undergoing rehab on a hamstring injury in Los Angeles.
Chilwell was sent to LA to change scenery amid his prolonged rehabilitation.
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Pochettino added: “The plan was to change the scenario for him. That happens in different clubs.
“When it’s a long period of recovery, sometimes we change the scenarios for them.
“Twelve hours here every day, it’s a fantastic training ground, but sometimes the player needs to change the atmosphere and the scenario to keep their recovery in a good way.
“It’s still difficult to know when he will be back.”