Chelsea’s Mauricio Pochettino laments Reece James red card: ‘Painful’

Reece James's late red card in Chelsea's win at Brighton was "painful," Mauricio Pochettino admitted after his team moved to the verge of European qualification.

The Blues captain and England defender was dismissed for kicking out at Seagulls striker Joao Pedro in the 88th minute at the Amex Stadium.

James now faces a four-match ban and will not play again before Gareth Southgate names his preliminary Euro 2024 squad.

Pochettino lamented how the booking was "painful" as "it was a fantastic night of football."

He added: “I’m disappointed because now he’s going to miss the next game and maybe a few games in next season.”