“He is a scandal” - After leaving Chelsea to join Man City, Marcus Bettinelli labels ex-Blues teammate as frightening

Former Chelsea goalkeeper Marcus Bettinelli expressed his admiration for Reece James, describing the Blues captain as a ‘scandal’ and ‘frightening.’ The duo were teammates at Chelsea between 2021 and June 2025, when Bettinelli left the west London club for Manchester City.

James, who came through the ranks at Chelsea, has established himself as a mainstay since he was promoted to the senior team, although the time at the club has been curtailed by injuries. Naturally a right-back, James has shown his ability to play in multiple roles over the past couple of months, an adaptability that has impressed Bettinelli.

Notably, the 25-year-old was deployed by manager Enzo Maresca in midfield in the Club World Cup final against Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain. He also played as centre-back in the second half of their 2-1 win against Liverpool earlier this month.

Speaking on Fozcast - The Ben Foster Podcast, Bettinelli claimed the England international could play anywhere on the pitch.

“Reece James is a scandal. If you ask any footballer that has played with RJ or seen him at England, Reece is frightening. He can play anywhere. I’m not joking, he can play anywhere,” Bettinelli said.

In his almost four years at Chelsea, Bettinelli made only one appearance for the senior team, which was an FA Cup third-round tie against Chesterfield, which the Blues won 5-1.

Reece James expected to play for Chelsea against Nottingham Forest

Enzo Maresca's side will lock horns with Nottingham Forest today, October 18, in an early kick-off. It’s not great news in terms of available personnel for the world champions heading to the City Ground, as they are ravaged by injuries.

In a press conference on Friday, Maresca confirmed that Moises Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez, and Joao Pedro are all doubts for today’s fixture. Adding insult to injury, the Italian manager added that their talisman Cole Palmer is expected to be on the sidelines for another six weeks due to a lingering groin issue.

In what will come as music to the ears of the Blues faithful, captain Reece James is fit to play against Forest. The right-back didn’t join the England national team for this month’s internationals due to an issue sustained in the 2-1 win over Liverpool. In a landmark milestone, James will make his 200th Chelsea appearance if he features against Forest.

To date, James has scored 14 goals and provided 25 assists for the Blues in 199 appearances across competitions.