Chelsea: £150k-a-week star set for rare start at Aston Villa

Chelsea are likely to name Cesar Azpilicueta in the starting XI in place of the injured Reece James against Aston Villa, according to journalist Simon Phillips.

The £150,000 per-week England star sustained an injury in midweek and is set for a long spell on the sidelines, forcing Potter to make a change at right wing-back from midweek.

James has been one of Chelsea's standout players this season, but he suffered a setback against AC Milan in the second half at the San Siro on Tuesday.

Initially, the 22-year-old's injury was not as bad as first feared, but the Daily Mail have since reported that James has ruptured ligaments in his knee and is now in danger of missing next month's World Cup in Qatar.

As a result, Potter will have to shuffle his pack and play someone different at right wing-back.

But with no genuine replacement in his squad, Phillips reckons Azpilicueta will get another chance to impress after making a rare league start against Wolves last weekend when James was rested.

Phillips reckons that with Azpilicueta the most experienced player in his squad, he expects him to be given the nod to face Steven Gerrard's men.

He told GIVEMESPORT: "Potter seems to be trusting Cesar Azpilicueta when Reece James isn't available or comes off, so I have a feeling that he will continue to use him there for now until James is back."

With no recognised replacement for James in the entire squad, whenever the academy graduate gets injured, it's always a huge concern for Chelsea.

Fortunately, they do have players capable of filling in, one being Azpilicueta, who was given the nod against Wolves.

Potter could also potentially use Ruben Loftus-Cheek there, with the midfielder playing in the makeshift role during the early weeks of