After the “brutal” experience of suffering a knee injury that prevented him from participating in the World Cup, Graham Potter believes Reece James is psychologically ready for Chelsea’s second half of the season.
Prior to being substituted in the second half of Chelsea’s 2-0 Champions League triumph against AC Milan in mid-October through injury, the 23-year-old appeared destined for Gareth Southgate’s England team traveling to Qatar.
What Did Graham Potter Say About Reece James?
Blues manager Potter recognized that it has been a difficult few weeks for James, who will be available when Chelsea face Bournemouth in their return to Premier League action on Tuesday.
“It was a World Cup and they come around every four years. So when you’re young, the perspective is not so easy to get.
“You are young and you want to play. That’s really understandable. It’s the same for Reece, Ben Chilwell, N’Golo Kante. It’s brutal really to have to deal with.
“You can try to help them and give them a bit of perspective but in the end it has to come from them, their families and those people close to them.
“I have to say he is in a good mood, he is in a good place. He has trained with us, is training well and is a good team-mate. He has dealt with it well.
Raz and Reece! 😁 pic.twitter.com/QSdlh69qZy
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) December 22, 2022
Trending Stories: PSV Confirm Cody Gakpo £45m Transfer Agreement To Liverpool
“There is not too much you can say. You say it will get better with time and you have to focus on the things you can control. But there is nothing you can say to a player that will make it get better.
“He is missing the World Cup. What can I say? All I can do is acknowledge that it is upsetting, that whatever he is feeling is normal and help him move forwards.
“It was a challenging period for him. It was a challenging period for all the players. There were another 12 that are watching their team-mates and getting injured and missing the World Cup.
“You have to think on some level there is an effect there. They’re only human.”
COMMENTS