Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca said he regards Reece James as a midfielder after the Blues captain scored in their 2-1 victory in Copenhagen in the Conference League last 16.
After a forgetful first half, James scored with a shot from a distance to break the impasse in the first stage before Enzo Fernandez doubled Chelsea's lead.
Gabriel Pereira's 79th minute response kept the Danish side in position for the second stage at Stamford Bridge next week.
James marked his first performance in the competition this season with a goal that came after a first half in which Chelsea had not succeeded in registering a single shot on goal.
The 25-year-old has only made 10 gigs in the Premier League this season due to a hamstring injury. James also played only 10 league games last season due to recurring injuries.
“I see Reece as a midfielder. Since the first day,” said Maresca after the game.
“I sent him a clip when he was on vacation about how he can be a midfielder. He played at Full-back, central defender, so the most important target for us is to keep him fit.
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“We know how important he is for us. He is our captain, a fantastic player. We need him, so that is our duty, our goal, because he will certainly help us.
“He can play in many positions because the good players can play in many positions.”
While the men of Maresca take this period a step in the direction of European silverware, he is confronted with a tough fight to secure Champions League football for next season.
Chelsea is in fifth place in the league table with 46 points, but in a busy table Aston Villa is only four points behind in 10th place.
They then welcome the former Club Leicester City by Maresca on Sunday.
“The main match for us is the game of Sunday at home and we need our fans for 100 minutes behind the team and the team pushing,” said Maresca.
“If we can win against Leicester on Sunday, we can take another step to end in the Champions League, [whether] Top four or top five, I don't know. “
In the meantime, James said that the narrow victory in the first stage against Copenhagen was a step in the right direction for the club.
“It was a difficult place to go and the atmosphere was great. They work well and it is always frustrating to admit so late in the game,” James told TNT Sports.
“Our goal was to maintain a clean slate and we could not succeed, but we got the victory.”
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