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Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso ka maanna hai ki club captain Reece James duniya ke behtareen central midfielders mein se ek banne ki kshamata rakhte hain. Enzo Fernandez ke Manchester City ko bade transfer ke baad aur Stamford Bridge par badhti injury crisis ke beech, Blues ke boss ab apne star right-back ko midfield ke beechon-beech bade paimane par istemal karne ke liye taiyar hain.

Alonso ko Blues ke engine room ko dobara sajana pada hai.

Fernandez ke £125 million mein Manchester City jaane ke baad Chelsea is waqt gambhir midfield kami se joojh rahi hai. Transfer deadline se pehle Blues kisi replacement ko sign nahi kar sake, kyunki ek dramatic transfer deal toot gayi.

Squad ki kam gehraai Brighton ke khilaf 4-3 ki afra-tafri bhari jeet mein saamne aa gayi, jahan Moises Caicedo bench se aane ke baad injured ho gaye. Veteran Jordan Henderson pehle se hi bahar hain, Romeo Lavia abhi-abhi fit hue hain, aur Valentin Barco ke paas anubhav ki kami hai, isliye Alonso ko prayog karne pad rahe hain. Natural right-backs James aur Malo Gusto, dono ko midfield mein utarna pada hai taaki saaf dikh rahi kami ko kisi tarah bhara ja sake.

'Unke paas wahan khelne ki samajh hai'

Yeh move chahe makeshift ho, lekin Alonso apne 3-4-3 system mein apne captain ko wahan khilane ke liye poori tarah taiyar hain. Spaniard se poocha gaya ki kya James ek elite central midfielder ke roop mein vikas kar sakte hain, aur unhone zor daar samarthan diya. "Main kahunga haan. Main kahunga ki woh us position mein bahut comfortable hain, bahut confident hain," Alonso ne press conference mein kaha.

"Unke paas wahan khelne ki intelligence hai. Unke paas beech mein aas-paas ke teammates ke saath connect karne ki samajh hai, yeh jaanne ki samajh hai ki ball milne se pehle aur baad mein sabse behtar cheez kya hai. Aur unke paas yeh awareness bhi hai," Chelsea boss ne aage kaha. "Mujhe yaad hai maine unhe middle mein bahut achha khelte dekha hai. Isliye haan, hum unka istemal kar rahe hain. Woh wahan first midfielder ke taur par kaafi minutes khelenge."

Alonso ko is transition ki physical demands ko lekar bhi bilkul chinta nahi hai. "Mere liye physical roop se woh fresh hain aur taiyar hain," unhone samjhaya. "Woh Premier League mein compete karte rahe hain, isliye mere liye yeh koi issue nahi hai."

"Midfielder ke roop mein aapko bahut saare chhote decisions lene padte hain, aur bahut saare sahi decisions lene padte hain kyunki aap hamesha game se bahut jude rehte hain," Alonso ne jaari rakha. "Aap action ke bahut kareeb hote hain aur agar aap chal rahe hain to yeh mumkin nahi hai. Isliye Reece waqayi game mein poori tarah involved hain."

Yeh bilkul anjaana kshetra nahi hai.

Central area mein khelna England international ke liye poori tarah naya vichar nahi hai. James pichhle kuch seasons mein kabhi-kabhi midfield mein aa chuke hain, aur Alonso ne turant un purani safaltaon ka zikr kiya. "Mujhe pata tha ki woh wahan khel sakte hain. Mujhe New York mein pichhla Club World Cup final yaad hai. Unhone Moi ke saath middle mein khela tha," Spaniard ne kaha. "Anfield mein, mera khayal hai ki unhone pichhle saal wahan khela tha. Yeh unke liye naya nahi hai. Aisa nahi hai ki main kuch discover kar raha hoon."

Technical qualities ke alawa, Alonso captain ki central positioning ko squad ke liye ek bada psychological boost bhi maante hain. "Mujhe lagta hai ki yeh team ki zarooraton aur team mein unki role, dono se juda hai. Kyunki mujhe Fulham ke khilaf match yaad hai. Emotional terms mein, captain ke taur par, leadership ke taur par middle mein unka impact, woh sab ke kareeb hote hain aur ek important role nibha sakte hain," Alonso ne kaha.

"Unhe pehle se pata hai ki unhe kahan hona hai. Unke paas apne aas-paas ke teammates ki madad karne ki capacity hai, isliye yeh mere liye bhi bahut important hai kyunki unki yeh presence hai. Teammates unki izzat karte hain; jab woh kuch kehte hain to sab sunte hain aur unka paalan karte hain," unhone joda.

Stamford Bridge par morcha sambhalte hue

Chelsea is Sunday ek kathin agni-pariksha ka saamna karegi, jab woh reigning Premier League champions Arsenal se bhidegi, aur unki midfield ka engine room kaafi kamzor halat mein hoga. Caicedo aur Henderson ke out hone ke baad turant zimmedari James par aayegi ki woh Lavia ke saath milkar Alonso ki midfield ko titleholders ke khilaf sambhalen. Is high-stakes fixture mein captain apni is lagbhag sthayi nayi role mein kitni jaldi dhal pate hain, isi se Blues ke turant campaign ka sur tay hoga, jab team Fernandez ke bade departure ki bharpai karne ki koshish kar rahi hai.