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Calum McFarlane has heaped praise on Reece James ahead of this weekend's clash against Manchester City. The Chelsea Under-21s head coach will be in the dugout when the Blues lock horns with Pep Guardiola's side at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
Speaking to reporters at Cobham, McFarlane, who only joined the west Londoners from Southampton in July, singled out James for his leadership in light of Enzo Maresca's departure. The Italian parted ways with Chelsea on New Year's Day.
When asked about his first couple of training sessions in charge, McFarlane said: "There's a really good culture at the club, in terms of the support from the first team, the directors, everyone seems interested.
"There's always a bit of an academy presence there [at U21s matches]. In all honesty, it's exactly the same as it always has been. We're all here for the same reason. Training was great today, there was a really good energy."
On how the players have reacted to Maresca's exit, McFarlane said: "You don't know what to expect, really, but the energy and enthusiasm was exceptional today. They were really focused, driven and hungry.
"We have a massive game on Sunday. Reece has been brilliant, he has been a real leader in the group and helped the staff and players to get ready for Sunday."
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