Reece James said the controversy surrounding Enzo Fernández could cause a “problem” within the Chelsea camp and believes the situation can only be fully resolved in face-to-face talks with his teammates.
Fernandez is currently on holiday after winning the Copa America with Argentina. During the celebrations after the win he posted a video in which the midfielder, along with several other players, sang a racist and derogatory about the heritage of some France players.
France filed a complaint after the video surfaced and Chelsea defender Wesley Fofana labelled the video “uninhibited racism” and the club issued a statement condemning Fernandez’s actions, while also citing the incident as “as an opportunity to educate.”
Despite issuing a public apology, Fernandez is still facing internal investigations by both the Blues and FIFA. The 23-year-old is due to join up with the Chelsea squad on Monday as they continue their preseason tour of the United States.
In an exclusive interview with ESPN on Tuesday, Chelsea captain James said the situation could have an impact on team spirit: “Of course, there’s always the factor where it doesn’t sit right with people when there could be a problem.
“But until the day comes where everyone’s together and in a room together, I don’t know, but I hope things can be resolved smoothly and we can move forward with the season.
“It’s a really difficult situation. There’s no room for racism or discrimination in football. I think he quickly put his hand up and acknowledged he’d done wrong and apologized to his teammates, the club and the rest of the people that were offended. I think that was probably the best he could have done in that situation.
“I spoke to him a bit, but it was hard because we were on different time zones. [It was] just a general chat really. His views on what happened and him trying to explain his situation and how things happened.”
On a personal front, James said he believes he has finally put his injury problems behind him after suffering a series of fitness issues including hamstring surgery, which ruled him out for five months last season.
The defender made just 26 Premier League appearances in the past two seasons, but he said: “There were times before where I would think, ‘Can I do this? Can I do that?’ When you have that doubt, you don’t feel full confidence. Most recently, I’ve definitely felt like that fear’s gone and I feel free again.”
James operated as a full-back stepping into midfield in Enzo Maresca’s first game in charge during Wednesday’s 2-2 draw with Wrexham in Santa Clara, California, and he said the new position could suit his game after spending the 2018-19 campaign on loan at Wigan as a midfielder.
“I played midfield before when I was younger and then when I was on loan I played midfield as well,” James said. “So it’s quite similar to that. It’s quite clear. Usually one of the defenders come inside into the middle and we play from there pretty much.
“The role this season will be a lot different for many players so trying to understand the role as early as possible will help the team the most.”
Chelsea continues their preseason with a game against Celtic on July 27 before playing their final match of the U.S. tour against Arsenal on July 31.