‘Reece James must be stripped of Chelsea captaincy’ after John Obi Mikel reveal
Chelsea fans have called for Reece James to be stripped of his captaincy after John Obi Mikel gave his thoughts on the right-back.
James replaced Cesar Azpilicueta as the club captain in August, 2023, but since then he has struggled for fitness which has led to him not being able to play regularly.
That is something that former Chelsea midfielder Obi Mikel pointed out when discussing James on his Obi One Podcast.
The Blues legend said: “Do you think Reece James is going to speak to Enzo Fernandez? No. I don’t see that happening. Don’t kid yourself there. That’s why I say Reece James needs to do more as a captain.
“But you can only do more by being on the pitch and showing leadership. He’s been injured half of his career at Chelsea.”
Enzo Maresca’s side are currently in the midst of a difficult run of form, having only won three times in their previous 11 games across all competitions.
Those performances have led to Chelsea slipping down the Premier League table and out of the Champions League places as they find themselves sixth.
Reece James‘ Chelsea career ruined by injury
The 25-year-old built up his reputation as one of the most promising full-backs in European football under Thomas Tuchel, but he has had serious injury problems in the past three seasons.
The England international has missed 11 Premier League matches this season due to hamstring issues, having only appeared nine times throughout the campaign.
James only managed to make 11 appearances across all competitions last season due to injuries, with his problems having plagued his progress.
Chelsea want Reece James demoted
James might be an academy product and a popular squad member with fans, but supporters believe it’s time for him to be stripped of his captaincy.
Fans claimed that “captains are meant to be on the field and not in the treatment room,” while others stated no other players are “taken seriously by others.”
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