2230 — Pochettino: Our plan to keep James fit will work, he doesn’t …

Mauricio Pochettino[1] is confident Reece James[2] won't need surgery to overcome his niggling hamstring problems.

The Chelsea[3] captain returned to training on Wednesday but it remains unclear whether he is fit enough to start[4] against Arsenal[5] at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.

Pochettino has already said James's understudy Malo Gusto[6] will "maybe" play instead.

Asked whether his approach will keep James from needing surgery, Pochettino said: "What we are trying to do is to avoid what you say [surgery].

"We also have a very good strategy to put him at his best and keep him fit. It is impossible forever [to never be injured again].

"He is much better, much better, he is progressing well but still not at his best 100 percent. I think maybe he can help the team at some point – he is close to being there."

Mikel Arteta called Pochettino his "big brother" having met him in 2001 at Paris Saint-Germain.

Pochettino, who is 10 years his friend and rival's senior, knew even then that Arteta would become a great coach.

"He was still giving advice to me and to others," he added. "He was 17 and said wow, the character, the personality, the charisma also.

"Already [he had] the football brain. And you either have it or you don’t have it. You cannot go to the supermarket to buy one.

"And he already was a coach and then he was a midfielder similar to Pep, to understand the game what the game needs in different circumstances.

"I always used to say ‘Mikel is going to be a coach.’ But not only is he going to be a coach, he’s going to be a great coach."

References

  1. ^ Mauricio Pochettino (www.standard.co.uk)
  2. ^ Reece James (www.standard.co.uk)
  3. ^ Chelsea (www.standard.co.uk)
  4. ^ it remains unclear whether he is fit enough to start (www.standard.co.uk)
  5. ^ Arsenal (www.standard.co.uk)
  6. ^ Malo Gusto (sports.yahoo.com)

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