Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso has hinted at who could wear the captain's armband while Reece James is sidelined with a knee injury. The club confirmed on Friday morning that James has undergone successful surgery, and Standard Sport understands he will be out for around three months.
That means Chelsea could be without their captain until mid-January, leaving Alonso with a decision over his replacement. Chelsea have not publicly revealed their vice-captains during Alonso's tenure, but Levi Colwill wore the armband in Saturday's 5-1 win over Bournemouth while James was absent.
Alonso's captaincy hint
Asked at his Friday press conference who will captain the side in James' absence, Alonso named two players. “We have (Moises Caicedo), we have Levi (Colwill), we have players that take that responsibility,” he said. “They take the role in a perfect way. They have the support from the rest.”
Alonso added: “You can be a captain without an armband. Once you have it, you have to take that responsibility.”
Defensive record under scrutiny
Chelsea have not kept a Premier League clean sheet in more than 20 consecutive matches, dating back to a 2-0 home win over Brentford on January 17. Despite their attacking form this season, Alonso was asked whether the team would need to sacrifice some attacking intensity to improve defensively.
“I think it will come,” said Alonso. “It is no obsession. The obsession is to win and to compete in the best possible way and the clean sheets will come. I'm pretty sure of that. We want to play with good balance, with good control. We will create chances; the attacking power that we have is fantastic. They connect well, they have chemistry.”
