Chelsea’s Reece James Faces Another Hamstring Issue

Chelsea captain Reece James has encountered another setback due to a hamstring injury sustained during training, as confirmed by Blues manager Enzo Maresca. The 24-year-old defender, who underwent surgery on his hamstring last season to address recurring issues, had only recently returned to action.

Maresca addressed the media, downplaying concerns regarding a long-term absence but confirmed that James will miss the upcoming match against Leicester City. “We have just one injured player, and that’s Reece [James], who unfortunately felt something small in training two days ago. We don’t want to take a risk for the weekend,” he stated. “It’s a hamstring, muscular problem. We will see; we don’t know for how long, but for sure we want him fit for longer. At the moment it is not happening, but we hope it will happen soon.”

While James will be sidelined for the weekend fixture, Maresca remains optimistic about a swift recovery. However, he acknowledged that it is “probably difficult” for James to be available for the Conference League match scheduled for the following Thursday.

The Chelsea squad will have some availability despite James’ absence. Players such as Cole Palmer, Levi Colwill, Wesley Fofana, Malo Gusto, and Romeo Lavia are fit and ready after withdrawing from international duty. However, there are concerns surrounding Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez, with Maresca indicating that his starting lineup may not be “at 100%.” Both players have just completed one training session on Friday following their travel from South America for international competition.

As the team prepares for the challenging match ahead, Chelsea will hope for James’ quick return and look to manage the fitness of other players effectively to ensure a competitive performance against Leicester.