Mauricio Pochettino has confirmed Reece James is fit to play against Newcastle after returning from a hamstring injury sustained at the end of last season.
He is expected to return at the Mercedes-Benz Arena after an injury-hit season which he previously described as “the lowest of lows in my career.”
Pochettino also added the England defender is a contender for the captaincy, adding: “He’s one of the possibilities. He feels Chelsea, he came from the academy and his profile is one of the players who can be the captain of the club in the future.”
James had just minutes earlier declared his interest in the role: “I’ve been at Chelsea my whole life and it’s something I’ve always dreamt of. When the time’s right hopefully it happens.
“I think everyone has a different way of being a leader. Some speak and some show their actions on the field. I think I could do both. I’d like to think so [anyway].
“I try and help my team as much as I can. There are a lot of young players and I’ll be one to help them where I can.”
