Reece James has all the talent in the world, he’s already won the Champions League and looks to be England’s first choice right back at the World Cup in two months.
So what are his aims for the season?
Well, in an interview on the Chelsea official website he made it clear he wasn’t too bothered with arbitrary goal or assist numbers.
In fact, his goal is much more simple than that – stay injury free.
“The biggest thing for me this season is staying fit, not getting injured. I think last season I did well with my performances – my stats, goals and assists, clean sheets were all the best they’ve been – but I was injured for maybe three or four months and that was too long. So, I think if I stay on the pitch I will surpass what I did last season.
“Obviously it’s tough when you get an injury. I think the first day or two are the hardest – when you realise how long you’re going to be out. Then you start working back and looking on the bright side. You try and set targets, but I did that last season and came back too soon, and got injured again. These things are very frustrating – working your way back and then being out for another three weeks is not what you want.”
As he pointed out, everything was great last season, save for the period where he was hurt. Give him back that 3 months chunk and he and Chelsea would have done even better than they did.
The hectic schedule to come will make staying fit a major challenge for everyone, especially those players who will play in the World Cup.
New coach Graham Potter, and whoever our new head of medical is, will have their work cut out.
