Still out injured, Reece James was unable to feature in Chelsea’s 3-2 win over Leeds United in the fifth round of the FA Cup last night.
However, Reece James was still there to congratulate Jimi Tauriainen and the rest of his team-mates at full-time.
Tauriainen made his Chelsea debut and his captain gave him a big hug after the game, according to The Athletic’s Simon Johnson.
It is a debut that Tauriainen can look back on fondly, with the Blues managing to come out as victors.
Chelsea did not make it easy for themselves, going 1-0 down before throwing away a 2-1 lead. A last-minute Conor Gallagher goal, though, made the final score 3-2 and guaranteed the club’s place in the FA Cup quarter-finals.
When will Reece James return from injury?
Mauricio Pochettino would love to have his captain back for the FA Cup quarter-finals, where Chelsea take on Leicester City at Stamford Bridge.
However, the Blues are going to be without the right-back for a bit longer. In fact, according to journalist Bobby Vincent, those close to James do not even want to put a timeframe on when he is going to return.
It means that Malo Gusto will get more opportunities in the team, with the 20-year-old yet to really disappoint his manager.
Gusto has done well since coming into the side to cover for James. For example, in Chelsea’s last Premier League game, a 1-1 draw with Manchester City at the Etihad, the France international made eight tackles. It was the most in the match, four more than what Enzo Fernandez, Gallagher and Moises Caicedo managed, who were next on the list (WhoScored).
Gusto also made 10 clearances that day, with only Axel Disasi making more (16). It will be great when James is back, but Gusto is proving to be more than a capable deputy to the 24-year-old.
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