Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has set Reece James the target of staying fit until the end of the season after he scored a stoppage-time free-kick on Tuesday night in the 2-2 draw with Bournemouth, writes Edmund Brack.
The Blues captain marked his Premier League return from injury by scoring a 95th-minute equaliser with a pin-point free-kick.
Full-back James has missed 21 games with hamstring injuries this season and has managed just five Premier League outings all campaign.
He has struggled with injury problems throughout his time in the first team. The 25-year-old has started just eight top-flight games since he was made Chelsea captain at the start of last campaign.
“I’m very happy for him,” said Maresca.
“He deserves it after a difficult moment.
“The target now is for him to be fit until the end of the season.
“In terms of a free-kick, he can compare to Cole Palmer. In that moment, I decided it was for Reece.
“We scored and we’re all happy.
“Also it gave us the points. I’m happy for him and for us. It was one of our best first halves of the season – I think we had around 15 shots.
“The game completely changed in the second half – we need to understand why. There is a little bit of shame because why you play the way you did in the first half, you have to be clinical.”
PICTURE: ALAMY