Mauricio Pochettino reserved praise for star defender, Reece James, after Chelsea reached the Carabao Cup quarter-finals with a 2-0 win over Blackburn Rovers on Wednesday.
Benoit Badiashile and Raheem Sterling scored in the 30th and 59th minute, respectively, as Chelsea secured a quarter-final against Newcastle United.
“We need to think that it is an important competition for us,” said Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino, who praised the return of captain Reece James. “He’s an important player for us. He’s an amazing player, for me, one of the best full-backs in the world. The temptation is, ‘Okay, come on, go and play 90 minutes,’ but we need to be careful. Little by little, he is going to get fit and cope with the demands of the games.”
James has been sidelined by injury for over 3 months before making his long awaited return. Thursday brought his first start since the opening day of the 2023-24 English Premier League season.
Sterling doubles our advantage with a lovely finish! 🎯 pic.twitter.com/6r57UOI9FS
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) November 2, 2023
Chelsea failed to qualify for the UEFA Champions League or Europa League after ending the 2022-23 EPL season in 12th position. They are currently in 11th position in the 2023-24 EPL having struggled to score goals so far this season.
“We are not in Europe. That should be an opportunity for us, like the Premier League, and in January, we will start the FA Cup. Of course, we need to think that we can win this competition,” added Pochettino.
