EXCLUSIVE | Chelsea Boss on When Reece James Can Play Again: Reece and Lavia Are Still Not Ready

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has confirmed to Telecom Asia Sport that club captain Reece James will not be involved this weekend against Crystal Palace after missing the 2-1 defeat to Servette in the Europa Conference League. James has been sidelined for the last four weeks, missing games against Manchester City and Wolves and the playoff match against Servette.

The 24-year-old has also once again been left out of the England team for the upcoming international friendlies, as injuries continue to hinder one of the most talented full-backs of his generation. However, speaking to Telecom Asia Sport after the defeat in Geneva, the Chelsea boss expressed hope that James would be back after the international break.

James (Reece) is still not ready, and the same goes for Romeo (Lavia), but we are hopeful that James will be back after the international break,” Maresca said. “It’s about managing the squad and making sure that we handle the load and rotate the team, but let’s take it one day at a time and ensure everyone is involved, whether injured or not.

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca

Despite the defeat, Chelsea qualified for the Conference League group stage. Having previously won the Champions League and Europa League, they will aim to add the Conference League title to their collection.

Today is also the transfer deadline, with Chelsea hoping to offload some players before the window shuts. This includes the likes of Raheem Sterling and Trevoh Chalobah, who have been left out of the team after being told they were surplus to requirements.

There are around 13 players currently training away from the first team that the club needs to move on to avoid keeping expensive players on high wages who are not contributing to the first team. Manchester United and Juventus have both been linked with Sterling. At the same time, Djordje Petrović is likely to move to Strasbourg, having been entirely left out of the team despite being the first choice under Mauricio Pochettino last season.