Chelsea manager explains Reece James substitution

Chelsea manager Liam Rosenior has provided an explanation for Reece James' substitution against Burnley in the Premier League.

The Blues squandered the opportunity to beat the Clarets at Stamford Bridge earlier today. They raced into a 1-0 lead after just four minutes and looked on course for a comfortable victory over Scott Parker's side.

However, the west London outfit lacked the cutting edge in the final third. They squandered a couple of clear-cut chances and eventually paid the price as Burnley scored a late equaliser in the 93rd minute.

James was substituted in the back end of the game after the Blues were down to 10 men with Wesley Fofana's sending off.

When asked for an explanation, Rosenior said: "Reece, he's so important to us, any sign of fatigue, we want to get him off the pitch. Estevao, we're doing our assessments now."

Chelsea dropped a couple of crucial points in their Champions League pursuit. Manchester United could go three points ahead of them in fourth with a victory over Everton on Monday night.