Enzo Maresca has given his thoughts on Chelsea duo Reece James and Liam Delap (Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images)

Reece James is at the peak of his fitness at the moment and Enzo Maresca has insisted the Chelsea captain is ready to play three times in a week.

The 25-year-old struggled with consistent muscular problems throughout the 2022/23 and 2023/24 seasons, missing a whopping 72 games over that two-year period. James, though, decided to undergo surgery on his hamstring in December 2023 to try and fix the recurring problem.

Since returning from injury in December 2024, James has been an ever-present figure under Maresca, though the Chelsea head coach has had to manage his playing time.

Maresca has used James in all but three matches this season, the two Carabao Cup victories and the Champions League win over Ajax last month. The Blues boss is now confident the England international can be used three times in the space of seven days.

“Reece is good,” said Maresca. “He’s doing well, he is fit 100%. The way he behaves every game is top; even when...