Thomas Tuchel suggests Enzo Maresca isn’t using Chelsea’s Reece James correctly

England manager Thomas Tuchel has shared his thoughts on Reece James potentially transitioning into a midfield role after the 25-year-old's impressive performance in England's 3-0 victory over Latvia. James, making his first England start since 2022, scored a stunning free-kick, and his overall display led fans to call for his inclusion in the starting lineup ahead of Trent Alexander-Arnold for the 2026 World Cup.

At his club, Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has stated that he had always envisioned James moving further up the pitch, particularly after the player impressed in an advanced role during a UEFA Conference League match against Copenhagen. Tuchel, who previously managed James at Chelsea, has now weighed in on the conversation about the England international’s future position.

During his post-match press conference, Tuchel was asked whether he could see James playing in a more forward role, especially given Maresca’s plans to develop him as a midfielder. While Tuchel acknowledged that James could be effective in a midfield role in certain situations, he was cautious about using him there in more open games, where the risk of being exposed might be higher.

“I think we did [think about playing him in midfield] but very very rarely with Chelsea. I think if you play a dominant match like we did today, he can be, like in the last 20 minutes, a hybrid midfielder where he comes from the left or right full-back position and helps to create the overload because he has the quality on the ball to accelerate with his passes.

"Once it's an open game and there's a lot of transitions through midfield, I'm not so sure it would suit him perfectly. There cannot be any doubt about Reece's quality in itself. It's the highest level," Tuchel explained.

The discussion surrounding James' potential move into midfield mirrors the experiment undertaken by Gareth Southgate with Alexander-Arnold during the Euros. Southgate tried playing the Liverpool full-back alongside Declan Rice in a double pivot, but the experiment was met with criticism. After starting the first two matches, the plan was ultimately scrapped, and Alexander-Arnold was replaced by Kobbie Mainoo during the knockout stages of the competition.