Chelsea boss Enzo Marseca has explained the reasoning behind his decision to leave Reece James on the bench in the Blues' Conference League triumph.

England fans have been left puzzled by Thomas Tuchel's experimental lineup for their World Cup qualifier against Andorra.

Chelsea's new £30 million ($40m) man Liam Delap will miss the Club World Cup semi-final against Fluminense, while Reece James is a doubt with injury.

Reece James has dismissed talk of a disciplinary crisis at Chelsea despite the Blues receiving their fifth red card in six matches. The captain scored and assisted in a 3-0 victory over Nottingham Forest before Malo Gusto’s late dismissal took the shine off an otherwise commanding display, leaving Enzo Maresca’s men once again finishing a game with 10 men.

Chelsea’s defensive injury crisis continues to deepen, with Reece James being forced to withdraw from the latest England squad. The Blues captain had been called upon by former Stamford Bridge boss Thomas Tuchel for upcoming clashes with Wales and Latvia. James will play no part in those fixtures after picking up a knock, with his place in the Three Lions’ ranks going to Manchester City full-back Nico O’Reilly.