Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca hints at new captain and sends subtle message to Ben Chilwell

Enzo Maresca has revealed that Reece James will continue to be ‘one of’ Chelsea’s captains but stopped short of confirming that the injury-prone full-back will remain the Blues’ main skipper.

The 24-year-old, who was given the armband by former Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino, made only five Premier League starts last season due to injuries. And some believe that a more reliable player should be given a shot at taking over the captaincy.

Maresca’s choice of words was eye-catching when asked whether James’ role will be adjusted. “For sure, he will be one of the captains,” said the former Leicester City manager. “He has already been, in the past. I want him again to be one of the leaders of this team. I like players who take responsibility.”

Maresca has a number of senior stars to choose from if a new outright captain is set to be appointed. Ben Chilwell and Raheem Sterling are both seen as leadership figures, while Conor Gallagher took hold of the armband in the absence of Chelsea’s full-backs for a large chunk of last season.

Doubt remains over whether Chilwell will even be a Chelsea player in 2024/25. Like James, the left-back’s appearances were severely restricted by injuries last term and he was left out of the England squad that went to the final of Euro 2024.

Rumours suggest Chilwell could leave Stamford Bridge this summer after Marc Cucurella’s standout Euros campaign, and the recent signing of Renato Veiga from FC Basel.

The subtle message sent by Maresca in his first Chelsea press conference was not a particularly good one for Chilwell. When naming the players who could feature in the inverted full-back role the manager utilised at Leicester last season; Cucurella, Veiga, James and Malo Gusto were all mentioned, but Chilwell was not.

The 27-year-old did at least make it into the Chelsea squad selected by Maresca to tour the USA in pre-season, which is more than can be said for Trevoh Chalobah.

The defender is reportedly desperate to stay at Stamford Bridge and fight for his place after a strong finish to last season. But Maresca has effectively confirmed that Chalobah is not part of his plans, having selected teenager Josh Acheampong ahead of him.

“From my point of view it’s always sad to leave players out of pre-season,” admitted the Italian. “In the end they work every day for the same target; to be part of the team. We have Axel [Disasi] there, Tosin [Adarabioyo] there, Wesley [Fofana] is finally back, and some young players like Josh Acheampong. It’s a sad decision but we had to make it.”