Chelsea fans should not be concerned about the deteriorating form of Cesar Azpilicueta, for academy product Reece James is ready and waiting to fill his boots.
While there were a great deal of positives to take from Chelsea’s first two fixtures of the season, particularly last night’s Super Cup contest with Liverpool, Azpilicueta’s performances were not one of them.
The Spaniard has been displaying evident signs of decline for some time now, but it may have already reached the stage where Frank Lampard has to think about phasing him out of the starting eleven.
Thankfully for Chelsea, even with a transfer ban in force, the club have his replacement ready-made and raring to go, as Squawka reminded us of after last night’s defeat to European champions Liverpool.
Reece James for Wigan during the 2018-19 Championship season:
• Most minutes (3,972)
• Most chances created (74)
• Most take-ons completed (47)
• 2nd-most tackles made (94)
• 2nd-most interceptions (41)Perfect for what Frank Lampard wants from his full-backs. pic.twitter.com/DZgJeYrFaC
— Squawka (@Squawka) August 14, 2019
As soon as James returns from injury, he’s going to push Azpilicueta all the way for his spot in the starting eleven. Our skipper will be looking over his shoulder as the 19-year-old nears a return to action.
What ought to be a concern for Azpi should provide comfort for Chelsea fans. The right-back spot is what we would consider one of the main weaknesses in our team at the minute, but not for much longer.
