Tuchel unconvinced James’ best position is in midfield

England boss Thomas Tuchel believes Reece James’ best position remains right-back.

The Chelsea captain, who has been plagued by injury problems, was recalled by Tuchel for Tuesday’s game against Malta – James’ first England start since September 2022.

James, playing at right-back rather than in midfield, where he has recently featured for Chelsea, produced an excellent performances and scored in a 3-0 win.

Current Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca has said that he feels James’ long-term position will be in midfield, where he has played at times previously – including during Tuchel’s time as Chelsea boss.

But Tuchel said: “We did it very, very rarely with Chelsea.

“If you play a dominant match he can be like a hybrid midfielder, where he comes from left or right-back and helps in midfield to create an overload.

“He has the quality on the ball to accelerate with his passes, play chipped balls and switch sides – he’s very confident.

“But once it’s an open game and there are a lot of transitions through midfield, I’m not so sure it (playing in midfield) would suit him perfectly.”

James is looking to put his injury woes behind him and re-establish himself in the England side, having fallen down the pecking order under Tuchel’s predecessor Gareth Southgate – largely because of his frequent injuries.

“There cannot be any doubt about Reece’s quality at the highest level,” Tuchel declared.

“We were in close contact in the last weeks and knew he was in good shape and a good space mentally. He was very positive throughout the camp.”