“Crying tears of happiness” – Chelsea fans delighted with 23-year-old star returning to playing XI for Bournemouth game

Chelsea fans have expressed their delight with Reece James returning to the team's starting XI for their Premier League game against AFC Bournemouth on Tuesday (December 27).

James missed the Blues' last six league games due to a knee injury, which also led to him missing the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. The 23-year-old's last appearance for the Blues was in a UEFA Champions League in the second week of November.

In the last two seasons, Chelsea have often looked a better team when the right-back has started for them. As a result, Blues fans were undoubtedly pleased to see him return to the line-up.

Many took to Twitter to enthusiastically respond to James' return, with one of them writing:

James has played 11 times across competitions for Chelsea this term, recording two goals and as many assists. The Blues have won seven of those games but have won just thrice in ten games without the Englishman.

Chelsea name strong starting XI for Bournemouth clash

Reece James' inclusion certainly seems to have brought some excitement in the Chelsea fanbase. There were also a few other big calls made by new manager Graham Potter while picking his XI for the Bournemouth clash.

Cesar Azpilicueta and Conor Gallagher started the Blues' last Premier League game, a 1-0 defeat against Newcastle United, before the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Both players are on the bench against the Cherries, with James and Denis Zakaria taking their places.

Tuesday's game will mark Zakaria's first Premier League appearance. The Juventus loanee notably started the Blues' final UEFA Champions League group game against Dinamo Zagreb, where he scored.

Armando Broja also started against Newcastle but is currently sidelined due to a season-ending injury. Rather than start another striker in Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Potter went with Kai Havertz. The German will be flanked by Raheem Sterling and Christian Pulisic.

Chelsea lineup vs Bournemouth: Kepa Arrizabalaga; Marc Cucurella, Kalidou Koulibaly, Thiago Silva, Reece James; Denis Zakaria, Jorginho; Raheem Sterling, Mason Mount, Christian Pulisic; Kai Havertz

About the author

Anantaajith has been covering European football news at Sportskeeda for almost three years. He previously spent five months at Total Football Analysis, where he deep dived into the likes of the A-League, Chilean and Argentine Primera Divisions, the Turkish league and the Maltese league. A graduate in English and Journalism, and currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Sport Analytics and Technologies from Loughborough University London, Anantaajith is adept at analyzing complex statistics and translating it into concise and reader-friendly content.

He started following football in 2010, watching the FIFA World Cup with his father, a memory he holds very special. The tournament also ignited his admiration for Lionel Messi, who he feels makes the game look simple and produces magic every time on the pitch. Luis Enrique and Sebastien Hoeness are his favorite managers. He supports Barcelona and their 3-2 El Clasico win in the 2016-17 season left a lasting impact on him. The 2022 FIFA World Cup final between France and Argentina is another match etched in his memory.

Anantaajith has interviewed many ISL footballers like Anirudh Thapa, Vincy Barretto, Samik Mitra, Jordan Murray, and covered the entirety of the 2022-23 ISL season and the 2023 SAFF Championship. He was cited on the ISL website several times for his efforts.

In his free time, he likes to sing, work out, play football, or play cricket at club/divisional level.

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