“He gave me a tough time” - Omar Marmoush snubs Van Dijk and Saliba as he names Chelsea defender as most difficult opponent

Manchester City star Omar Marmoush has named Chelsea captain Reece James as the toughest defender he has faced in his career. The Egyptian has faced the likes of Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk and Arsenal's William Saliba, but opted for the Englishman.

Speaking to the media, Marmoush recalled his meeting on the pitch with the Chelsea defender, saying that he was given a tough time by the right-back. He added that the Englishman was fast and strong, making it hard to get past and said (via Metro):

"Until now, it was Reece James. ‘It was my first Premier League game. He’s fast, strong and has quality on the ball. He gave me a tough time. I haven’t played much in the Premier League yet, but I’ll say James for now."

Marmousih is not the only Manchester City star to name Jamews as his toughest opponent. His teammate, Jeremy Doku, spoke to SPORTbible in 2024 and named the Englishman as the hardest defender he has faced in his career. he said:

"I’ve played against so many good defenders. Now it’s become so much more difficult with teams playing more defensively. I would say Reece James. I think he is a very strong and good defender, and one of the hardest I've ever played against."

Reece James has been dealing with hamstring issues in his career and underwent surgery in December 2023. He picked up another hamstring injury in November 2024, but did not require surgery.

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca protecting Reece James from injuries

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca spoke about his club captain, Reece James, after the UEFA Conference League win and admitted that he would like to start all the matches with the right-back on the pitch. However, he believes that it is important to protect the Englishman from another injury and said on TNT Sports (via Standard):

“I promise you, I would start always with Reece. But I’m trying to protect him. He played more games this season than the last two, three years. He’s happy, he knows that. He’s a top player for us. It’s like Cole [Palmer], the problem is we need to manage him. When we changed him, he said to me, ‘boss don’t worry, we’re going to win the game’.”

Reece James has started just once in the three Premier gue matches so far this season. Chelsea have Frenchman Malo Gusto as the backup in the squad, with academy star Josh Acheampong also filling in when needed.