Chelsea captain James hoping Fernandez talks will eradicate squad tension

Reece James admits nan title statement that threatens to disrupt nan commencement of Chelsea’s play is simply a “really difficult situation” but hopes face-to-face talks will thief them “move forward”.

Enzo Fernandez’s posting of a video connected societal media soon aft Argentina’s Copa America triumph complete Colombia connected July 14 ignited nan rumor arsenic it questioned nan practice of France’s achromatic and mixed-race players.

And though he apologised, some FIFA and Chelsea person launched investigations, nan erstwhile connected nan backmost of a title from nan French Football Federation.

The 23-year-old will person immoderate bridges to rebuild successful nan Stamford Bridge dressing room arsenic good pinch his Chelsea team-mate Wesley Fofana describing nan video arsenic “uninhibited racism”, while it has besides been reported nan club’s different French players are arsenic unhappy.

It is an unwanted problem for caller leader Enzo Maresca and skipper James is alert location could beryllium hostility erstwhile Fernandez joins up pinch nan squad connected Monday connected their pre-season circuit of nan United States.

He told ESPN: “Of course, there’s ever nan facet wherever it doesn’t beryllium correct pinch group erstwhile location could beryllium a problem.

“But until nan time comes wherever everyone’s together and successful a room together, I don’t know, but I dream things tin beryllium resolved smoothly and we tin move guardant pinch nan season.

“It’s a really difficult situation. There’s nary room for racism aliases favoritism successful football. I deliberation he quickly put his manus up and acknowledged he’d done incorrect and apologised to his team-mates, nan nine and nan remainder of nan group that were offended. I deliberation that was astir apt nan champion he could person done successful that situation.

“I said to him a bit, but it was difficult because we were connected different clip zones. [It was] conscionable a wide chat really. His views connected what happened and him trying to explicate his business and really things happened.”

Reaction from @ReeceJames. 💪#BluesInTheUSA pic.twitter.com/3tRGjskfFA

— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) July 25, 2024

James has been hampered by wounded problems complete nan past 2 seasons but says he is now “free again” and looking guardant to nan caller campaign.

He added: “There were times earlier wherever I would think, ‘Can I do this? Can I do that?’ When you person that doubt, you don’t consciousness afloat confidence. Most recently, I’ve decidedly felt for illustration that fear’s gone and I consciousness free again.”

Like James, Fofana has struggled pinch wounded and missed nan full of nan 2023-24 play aft rupturing his cruciate ligament past summer.

He and Romeo Lavia – who made conscionable 1 quality past play owed to ankle and hamstring problems – returned for Chelsea’s first pre-season crippled against Wrexham and Maresca was delighted to person them back.

He told nan club’s charismatic website: “Both of them are very important. In this infinitesimal it is very important for them to get minutes and not suffer immoderate training sessions.

“I americium particularly happy for them because for 1 twelvemonth without immoderate minutes, it is difficult for them mentally truthful they request to now boost their power and 45 minutes will thief some of them.

“Hopefully we tin soon person them some 100 per cent fresh and they tin commencement to play 90 minutes.”