Thomas Tuchel believes Reece James is just as effective for Chelsea at right wing-back as he is in a back three, and the boss has explained his thought process behind selecting him in the latter role recently.
James has lined up on the right-hand side of a back three in both of our last two matches, against Real Madrid and Crystal Palace, and has looked just as efficient despite his most prominent position over the last few seasons being at wing-back
The Cobham graduate was outstanding in controlling the threat of Brazilian forward Vinicius Junior at the Bernabeu a week ago, and the boss cites James’s current fitness levels as one of the many reasons why he has been lining up a bit deeper than usual.
‘The back three is a little bit less demanding physically, in comparison to the wing-back position, especially given he is coming back from a muscle injury over so many weeks,’ the boss explains.
