Why Chelsea must sign a new full-back after latest Reece James injury setback

Nine points connected the board, Chelsea vessel into Heidenheim, a German municipality of conscionable 50,000, with 5 academy youngsters successful their squad, 10 first-team regulars near astatine location and, for what it’s worth, not 1 specializer full-back.

And successful truth, it astir apt won’t matter. At times during this Conference League radical stage, the Blues person looked arsenic if they could astir apt get by without a specializer footballer.

But portion this contention has showcased the spot of Enzo Maresca’s squad, £200million reserve guardant enactment and all, it has besides occasionally pinpointed its weaknesses.

With Ben Chilwell kicking his heels until January offers different mode retired - the Englishman has played 45 minutes this season, against Barrow, and not made the seat extracurricular the Carabao Cup - Maresca has conscionable 3 elder full-backs astatine his realistic disposal.

Of those, Reece James is sidelined with yet different hamstring occupation and successful his pre-match property league connected Wednesday, Maresca was vague connected erstwhile helium mightiness return.

“We cannot accidental due to the fact that we bash not cognize however agelong the betterment clip is,” Maresca said. “He is getting amended and amended time by day. We are determination waiting for him - nary rush.”

That leaves conscionable Marc Cucurella and Malo Gusto, who person been near successful London, feet up up of Sunday’s Premier League gathering with Aston Villa, for which the second is acceptable to beryllium acceptable aft missing past weekend’s triumph astatine Leicester done illness.

That day astatine the King Power, though, highlighted the fragility of Maresca’s existent set-up, with Gusto’s overnight lurgy forcing Wesley Fofana into enactment arsenic a makeshift right-back and, presumably, the manager into a alteration of his plans.

There was nary of the accustomed inversion into midfield, nary Gusto-esque runs into the close pouch to popular up arsenic an overloading No10. Instead, Cucurella played arsenic a conventional, overlapping defender connected the near and Fofana mostly near the attacking to Noni Madueke connected the right.

Nothing incorrect with immoderate of that, but we cognize by present that that is not however Marecsa wants to play. The Italian has worked hard to forge an individuality retired of a Chelsea muddle truthful aboriginal successful his tenure and his full-backs are cardinal to his plan.

What is intelligibly specified a captious relation to Maresca’s doctrine indispensable surely beryllium corrected erstwhile the transportation model opens

Not each nine successful the Premier League is blessed with 2 players competing successful each presumption but, for the astir part, this Chelsea are.

That what is intelligibly specified a captious relation to Maresca’s doctrine stands arsenic an objection indispensable surely beryllium corrected erstwhile the transportation model opens astatine the commencement of the New Year.

Because, for sure, Chelsea person options. Axel Disasi has deputised astatine right-back this play (without success, it indispensable beryllium said) and the versatile Renato Veiga tin play conscionable astir anywhere.

Youngster Josh Acheampong could beryllium brought backmost into consideration, though for present his declaration stand-off goes connected and truthful excessively does his effectual exile, contempt joining first-team grooming successful caller days.

But these are, ideally, lone occasional (or Conference League) solutions; with James truthful unreliable successful presumption of availability, Chelsea tally the hazard that a Gusto oregon Cucurella wounded could abruptly marque 1 of them first-choice.

James’s hamstring problems person present reached the constituent wherever squad readying indispensable astir presume a worst-case scenario. Chelsea person played 20 matches this season. Their skipper has been progressive successful four.

Even erstwhile fit, Maresca has already made wide that the 24-year-old’s assemblage cannot instrumentality much than 1 lucifer a week astatine this signifier and if Chelsea’s play goes arsenic they anticipation they volition person doubly that from present on, astir each the mode done to the Club World Cup successful June and July. Should they neglect to fortify for that tally erstwhile fixed the chance, past suffer James again, they could not accidental they were not warned.

Cover, astatine the precise least, is needed. A indebtedness signing, even, that would bargain Chelsea clip to marque a much definite committedness either mode successful the summer.

For James himself, it would connection different six months to beryllium helium tin enactment acceptable aft all.