Enzo Maresca reveals why he named 'top player' Reece James on bench for Conference League triumph with Chelsea captain holding no grudges on bizarre decision

Chelsea's decision to drop James to the bench for their Europa Conference League final against Real Betis raised a lot of eyebrows, especially after the West London side conceded an early goal from Abde Ezzalzouli.

As Chelsea continued to struggle to dominate Manuel Pellegrini's Real Betis through the first half, Maresca decided to bring James on at half-time in place of Malo Gusto. The Blues' substitutions, along with Los Verdiblancos' drop off in the second half, helped Maresca's side go on to grab a massive four-goal comeback to clinch the Europa Conference League title with a 4-1 win at Stadion Miejski. The Italian coach has now explained why he decided to leave James on the bench for the start of the clash.

Speaking to the media, Maresca said: "I promise you, I would always start with Reece. But I’m trying to protect him. He’s a top player for us. It’s like Cole, the problem is we need to manage him. When we changed him, he said to me, 'Boss, don’t worry, we’re going to win the game'."

Maresca's decision to keep the injury-prone Chelsea captain on the bench could be influenced by the fact that the Blues' season is not yet over, as they will travel to the United States next month for the Club World Cup. James is expected to be a certain starter for Maresca through the competition.