Ahead of Chelsea's away match against Brentford in the fifth round of the Premier League, Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso spoke to Sky Sports.

Xabi, I'd like to ask about a position you're very familiar with – central midfield. Has this been a persistent problem for the team recently? How important is it to have Jordan Henderson back in the team now, especially with the experience he brings defensively?

It's definitely very important. Over the past four matches, we haven't had enough continuity and stability in this position, which is a crucial one. We hope to improve going forward, and Henderson's return is certainly important because he has excellent game reading ability and knows how to compete in every Premier League match. He can provide a lot of support to the players around him.

It took him some time to get fully back to his best, but now he feels good and is returning to a place he knows very well.

On Reece James:

He has a slight hamstring injury. He tried to be available and we waited until this morning, but he wasn't able to make it. We have enough time to prepare for the next match, and he should be back in a few days.

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