Three ways Graham Potter will lineup to replace injured Recce James
According to the Guardian, Recce James might not be available until after the World Cup.
Although it’s not yet known how long he will be sidelined, he is anticipated to miss at the very least the matches against United, Brighton, and Salzburg.
Losing the 22-year-old, who has unquestionably been Chelsea’s greatest player this season, is a serious setback.
How might Graham Potter take James’ place? We have up to three suggestions if the gaffer continues with the 3-4-3 shape.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek
Loftus-Cheek has been used as a right wing-back by Thomas Tuchel as an experiment. Rubens can fill in well for Reece while he is off because he has made a few standout performances in this role (the Spurs game instantly comes to mind).
Loftus-Cheek is a midfielder, therefore defensive errors are to be expected from him. When Wesley Fofana is unavailable, Trev Chalobah, our first-choice right center-back, must take extra precautions and cover for RLC.
Cesar Azpilicueta
Since James is the only other natural right-back on the team, placing Cesar Azpilicueta there would make sense.
Although the captain’s play has been inconsistent this year, his effort against Wolves was encouraging; he can improve on it.
Marc Cucurella
Thomas Tuchel referred to Marc Cucurella, 24, as “the new Azpilicueta” while announcing his signing. Cucu has played a variety of positions throughout his career, including right-back, demonstrating his tremendous versatility.
Who can argue with Chelsea supporters being able to watch Ben Chilwell and Cucurella on the field simultaneously?
