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Pochettino shares positive fitness update on Reece James
Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino provided a positive injury update on Reece James following Chelsea’s dominant 5-0 victory against Wrexham in their first pre-season friendly.
Despite the impressive performance, the Blues had to play without James, who was unable to travel with the squad due to illness and a knee problem, which required a precautionary scan before their United States tour.
However, there is good news for Chelsea fans as James shared an Instagram story with the caption “c you soon” and an American flag emoji, signaling his imminent return to join his teammates. This update indicates that his absence may be short-lived, and he will soon be rejoining the squad for their pre-season preparations.
Pochettino offered an update on the defender’s availability after the win and said: “He is flying soon and he is going to join the team soon.”
Mauricio Pochettino expressed his delight with new signing Christopher Nkunku after the French forward scored a stunning goal by rounding goalkeeper Rob Lainton in the closing moments of the game against Wrexham. However, Pochettino clarified that his intention is not to use Nkunku as a No. 9 regularly. Instead, he was compelled to play him in that position due to limited options at his disposal during the match against Wrexham.
“The most important now is to get feelings, starting to play again after the holidays. All the players came at different levels and now it is about putting them all at similar levels. I think for the possibility today and the different players we have available and I think it’s a position we decide today… we only have Jackson and him with the possibility to play as a striker,” he stated.
Following their impressive victory against Wrexham, Chelsea is set to take on Brighton in their next match at Lincoln Financial Field as part of the Premier League Summer Series on Saturday.