There was a heart stopping moment in Tuesday night’s game towards the end of the first half where Reece James sprinted back to defend a cross brilliantly, but was then unable to join in the counter attack.
It was an all too familiar sight for those who have seen him these last two years. It looked like he was injured, and he clutched his hamstring, but in the end he made it to half time, and even played through the second period. It was another reminder of his fragility, and the fact that we’re only playing one game a week from here on out is a blessing. He will have this weekend off with the rest of the group, and there is zero need to risk him in the remaining Premier League games if he’s not 100%.
The arrival of Malo Gusto this summer should lighten his load next season, but whoever the new manager is, they need to be very aware that while James is perhaps their greatest asset, he’s a very fragile one, and needs to be used extremely sparingly to avoid his potentially awesome career going off a cliff.
