Chelsea’s season could depend on their result against Borussia Dortmund at Stamford Bridge this evening, so Graham Potter should unleash star defender Reece James.
The Blues trail 1-0 on aggregate after defeat at Signal Iduna Park last month, and with a top-four finish looking unlikely given their disappointing form since Potter’s appointment, a strong Champions League run is likely needed if the Englishman is going to keep his job in the long run.
Todd Boehly has put his faith in the former Brighton manager but the pressure may increase if the Blues suffer an early exit in Europe, so Potter must select his strongest side for the visit of the Bundesliga title hopefuls.
Should Reece James start vs Dortmund?
Although Chelsea were able to pick up a vital win at the weekend with a 1-0 triumph over Leeds United, the visit of a Dortmund side who have won every game since the World Cup break will be a very different proposition.
Reuben Loftus-Cheek started in the right wing-back role against the Yorkshire outfit at the weekend and performed admirably but James is expected to be back fit for Tuesday night after missing out with hamstring tightness.
While he is a top defender, James can add some serious attacking quality for the Blues in a time where scoring goals has been a real problem for Potter’s side, with their goal against Leeds just their second in seven matches.
Last season saw only Mason Mount register more goal contributions than James, as the £250k-per-week defender notched an impressive five goals and nine assists in just 26 Premier League appearances.
This helped him earn a superb 7.24 average rating from WhoScored for his performances in the top flight, which was the best of any Chelsea player to feature at least ten times in the Premier League.
Therefore, it is clear the difference the 23-year-old can make to this Chelsea side and with at least two goals needed to beat Dortmund in normal time, Potter must unleash him from the start at Stamford Bridge.
Teammate Trevoh Chalobah was full of praise for James earlier in the season when he starred in the 3-0 Champions League win against AC Milan.
He said: “We are lucky to have him. He is an unbelievable player who can do all sides of the game. He can defend, get us goals and get us assists.
“It’s a pleasure to play with him. He’s definitely one of the best in the world, I’ve said it from day one. And, right now, he could be the best in the world.”
The Blues will have to be at their very best if they are going to progress this evening and potentially save their season, so Potter must start James.