Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca said he considers Reece James a midfielder after the Blues captain scored in their 2-1 win at Copenhagen in the Conference League last 16.
After a forgettable first half, James scored with a shot from distance to break the deadlock in the first leg before Enzo Fernandez doubled Chelsea’s lead.
Gabriel Pereira’s 79th-minute response kept the Danish side in contention ahead of the second leg at Stamford Bridge next week.
James marked his first appearance in the competition this season with a goal that came after a first half in which Chelsea had failed to register a single shot on target.
The 25-year-old has only made 10 appearances in the Premier League this season due to a hamstring injury. James also played just 10 league games last season due to recurring injuries.
“I see Reece as a midfielder. Since day one,” Maresca said after the game.
“I sent him a clip when he was on holiday about how he can be a midfielder. He has played at full-back, central defender, so the main target for us is to keep him fit.
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“We know how important he is for us. He’s our captain, a fantastic player. We need him fit, so that is our duty, our target, because for sure he is going to help us.
“He can play in many positions because the good players can play in many positions.”
While Maresca’s men took another step towards European silverware this term, he faces a tough battle to secure Champions League football for next season.
Chelsea are fifth in the league table with 46 points, but in a congested table Aston Villa, in 10th place, are only four points behind them.
They next welcome Maresca’s former club Leicester City on Sunday.
“The main game for us is Sunday’s game at home and we need our fans for 100 minutes behind the team and pushing the team,” Maresca said.
“If we can win against Leicester on Sunday, we can do one more step to finishing in the Champions League, [whether] top four or top five, I do not know.”
Meanwhile, James said the narrow win in the first leg against Copenhagen was a step in the right direction for the club.
“It was a tough place to go and the atmosphere was amazing. They set up well, and it’s always frustrating to concede so late on in the game,” James told TNT Sports.
“Our goal was to keep a clean sheet and we could not manage to do that, but we got the win.”
