‘Hopefully’: Pochettino really wants to hand ‘fantastic’ Chelsea man his first pre-season appearance tonight

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Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino has claimed he is hoping to feature Reece James in tonight’s pre-season friendly against Newcastle.

He told Football London that he is hoping that the 23-year-old is fit enough to feature in their third friendly of the United States tour.

There were real fears for the season ahead when James, described as fantastic by Ian Wright, was spotted to not be travelling with the bulk of the first team squad to America.

With reports that he had undergone a scan on a knee injury which has caused him some trouble in prior seasons, it was clear to see why supporters were concerned that it could be another lengthy spell on the sidelines for the player.

However, it was determined that it was a simple illness which stopped him travelling, and he has since joined up with the rest of the first team.

Pochettino to feature James tonight

Pochettino has now claimed that he is hoping to give the full-back his first game of the pre-season campaign against Newcastle tonight.

He said: “Yes, of course. He is a very important player for us and it’s important to have player like him back. Hopefully, tomorrow he can play.”

It has so far been a successful start to pre-season for the Blues, with them winning both of the manager’s first two games in charge.

The victory against Brighton in the Premier League Summer Series will have been particularly impressive for supporters, who saw their side soundly beaten by the Seagulls last season.

They will still face a number of impressive outfits from the top flight before their league opener against Liverpool in less than three weeks’ time. After Eddie Howe’s side, they will face Aston Villa before the task of European giants Borussia Dortmund.