Why Tuchel played James at the back

Chelsea star Reece James lined up on the right-hand side of a back three in the Blues last two matches against Real Madrid and Crystal Palace in the UCL and FA Cup respectively.

While he is known to play at the wing, James gave efficient performance in his new role as he controlled the threat of Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior.

Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel in a statement has now revealed why he started James in the new role.

‘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.

‘It’s a bit of an advantage to have him in the back three because it’s less physically demanding. But this is the next step. How many games can Reece play at wing-back? If he plays at wing-back during the season on a level where he is decisive, it is a bit less physically demanding in terms of acceleration and high speed in the back three. This helps us have him on the pitch for more minutes.

‘He can play both positions brilliantly, we only have him once and we need to decide, but this is why we have him there at the moment. I love him in both positions.’