Chelsea, nicknamed the "Blues," will travel to Bournemouth, nicknamed the "Cherrys," for their 15th match of the 2025/26 Premier League season. Chelsea captain Reece James stated that he has learned a great deal from past injuries and now understands his body better and how to recover more effectively.

Chelsea suffered a 1-3 defeat to Leeds United midweek thanks to a goal from Pedro Neto. After a run of three wins, one draw, and one loss in their last five matches, Chelsea currently sit fourth in the table with 24 points.

Chelsea defender Reece James, 25, said: "To be honest, I don't have a particular preferred position. I've played a lot of both positions recently. If you asked me a year ago, I might have had a preference, but lately I've played almost half in midfield and half at full-back, and I'm happy as long as I can get back on the pitch and help the team."

It's worth noting that Reece James has been plagued by injuries in the past, resulting in inconsistent playing time and impacting his performance. However, so far this season, Reece James has made 17 appearances for Chelsea in all competitions.

Reece James said, "I feel very strong right now, and playing consistently and consistently helps a lot. It's hard to find your rhythm when you're on and off with injuries, and good form and performance come from consistency and playing every week. Now, I've finally strung together a good stretch of playing time."

“I wouldn’t say I’ve done anything particularly different now; I just think I understand my body better than I did two years ago. That period was certainly difficult; it was a long time with a lot of setbacks and disappointments. It was really hard to get over it and to see the problems clearly at the time. But I think even though it was a negative experience, it did have a positive impact.”

Rhys James also emphasized, "It's mainly a matter of time and misunderstandings along the way. I've been learning throughout the process, including different rehabilitation methods, how to do it, what works best or not. I'm just trying to put all the pieces together to form a complete puzzle, and now I'm finally seeing results."

In addition, Chelsea midfielder Palmer, who had previously been injured, has returned to the field, which is a great help to Maresca's team.

Reece James said, "Palmer is a fantastic player and a really good person. He's a bit reserved, but he also has a funny side. He's been out for a while, and we're so glad he's back."

"He has the ability to score two goals in a row from scratch. There are very few players who can create decisive opportunities out of thin air, and he is one of them."