Liam Rosenior addresses “conspiracy” around Chelsea player’s mystery fitness issue

Chelsea’s Reece James has become the subject of mounting speculation after a sequence of contradictory updates left supporters questioning the true nature of his absence. The right-back, introduced for only the final ten minutes against West Ham, was widely expected to start last Tuesday’s derby with Arsenal, only to be withdrawn from the match-day squad at the eleventh hour. Club briefing notes handed to journalists cited “load management”, yet head coach Liam Rosenior later referenced a “small knock” discovered after the final training session.

That explanation appeared to settle the matter until team sheets were released ahead of Saturday’s trip to Wolves. James’s name was again absent, meaning a supposedly minor complaint had now sidelined him for a full seven days. Social-media chatter intensified, with fans asking whether the club were either downplaying a more serious injury or shielding the defender for unrelated reasons.

Speaking at Monday’s pre-Leeds press conference, Rosenior attempted to draw a line under the affair, only to add another twist. “He is feeling unwell today,” the manager said. “It’s no conspiracy, it’the truth. Hopefully he’ll be well enough for tomorrow.” The remark drew wry smiles from reporters conscious that every fresh update seems to muddy rather than clarify the picture.

Should James take any part in Tuesday’s encounter at Elland Road, the episode will almost certainly be filed away as an unfortunate coincidence. If he remains in the stands, suspicion will inevitably resurface, extending what has already become a fortnight-long guessing game.

Elsewhere, Liam Delap continues to divide opinion among supporters frustrated by his limited output, although coaching staff point to a respectable goals-per-minute ratio as evidence that patience is required. On the flanks, Portuguese winger Neto is skating on thin ice after another subdued outing yesterday; only the simultaneous dips in form of Alejandro Garnacho and Jamie Gittens are sparing him the indignity of a place on the bench.

For now, though, all eyes remain fixed on James and whether a straightforward virus, a lingering knock, or something altogether more opaque is keeping one of Chelsea’s most influential figures off the pitch.