John Terry has claimed on Twitter that missing Reece James was key to Chelsea’s defeat to Southampton last night.
The former Blues skipper went on to say that the 22-year-old is even in line to follow in his footsteps and lead the team in the future.
Thomas Tuchel’s side were uninspiring away from home again as they saw a first half Raheem Sterling goal quickly cancelled out by two unanswered Saints strikes.
The visitors hardly threatened a way back into the game, and in fact were close to falling even further behind on multiple occasions.
Both Marc Cucurella and Thiago Silva were forced into sensational clearances off the line in the second half, as Southampton bounced back well from defeat at the weekend.
Terry was like many Chelsea fans after the game, frustrated at the performance as well as the uncertainty around the side.
Terry backs James for armband
He claimed the absence of James was key to the defeat, with the leadership skills of a future captain absent from the side.
He said: “I hate seeing us get beat. Southampton were very good, but We look very unbalanced at the minute. I can’t wait for the window to close and get our settled squad, team and formation.
“We miss Reece so much when he doesn’t play. 22 years old and a future captain in my opinion.”
There are a number of candidates to become the next club captain, with current skipper Cesar Azpilicueta likely to be phased out in the coming months with the arrival of Wesley Fofana.
Mason Mount is another young player who knows exactly what it means to play for Chelsea, and has even captained the Blues on multiple occasions before.
Fans looking for a more experienced candidate will point to the likes of Jorginho, or even new signing Kalidou Koulibaly, who has already been praised for his leadership qualities since joining.
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