By Adegboyega Adeleye
Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso has said the club is not planning to sign cover for injured captain Reece James in January, as he expects the defender to have returned by then, adding that Moises Caicedo and Levi Colwill can provide leadership in his absence.
Speaking at the pre-match press conference ahead of Chelsea’s game against Everton, Alonso said James had undergone successful knee surgery after picking up an injury in training. He added that the club would not set a firm return date, but expected the 26-year-old to miss several weeks, possibly until after Christmas.
“No, I don’t think so because we expect for that time that he’s back,” Alonso said when asked whether James’ injury would affect Chelsea’s January transfer plans. “It’s not exact, the timeline with him, so let’s see; it doesn’t affect [the plans].”
Alonso also said Chelsea would support James through his recovery and stressed the captain remained an important influence in the squad.
“We are all disappointed, especially for him,” he said. “He wanted to have a good start after the international break, but he picked up an injury. The surgery has been successful. We are supporting him.”
With James unavailable, Alonso said Caicedo and Colwill were among the players ready to take responsibility as captain.
“We have Moi, Levi; we have players that take that responsibility and they fill the role in a perfect way,” he said. “You can be captain without an armband. You can have leadership without it, and that’s why we have this group of captains.”
Chelsea visit Everton on Saturday, aiming to build on their 5-1 win over Bournemouth. Alonso said his side would need to adapt, describing Everton as a team with experienced players who “do many good things”.
Chelsea have scored 15 goals in their first six Premier League matches. Alonso said he hoped that scoring rate would continue, while adding that the team also needed to reduce the number of goals it concedes.
“We want to be flexible but also solid whenever we are pressing high,” he said. “We think the balance is the right one.”
The coach added that Chelsea had no other injury concerns ahead of the Everton match.
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