Chelsea captain Reece James has suffered another injury setback after being ruled out of the Premier League match at Leicester City on Saturday.
Head coach Enzo Maresca has revealed that 24-year-old James sustained a minor hamstring problem during training on Tuesday.
This is the ninth time James has been ruled out with a hamstring injury in the past five years. He went 18 months without completing 90 minutes in the Premier League between April 2023-October 2024 and had surgery last December in a bid to cure it for good.
But James has made just three starts for the club this campaign and is now facing another spell on the sidelines.
Maresca said: “We have just one injured player and that is Reece, who unfortunately felt something small and we don’t want to take any risks for the weekend. He is the only one (right now) who is for sure not available this weekend. It’s a hamstring, a muscle problem. Hopefully it is not something long.”
Chelsea play Heidenheim in the UEFA Conference League next Thursday and Maresca is already suggesting James will be able to return for that fixture.
Maresca says James’ lack of availability is more frustrating for him and added: “I know that it is not easy (for him). But if every time he gets injured it becomes hard for him, it’s for me even worse.
“He has to accept that and try to avoid (injury) as much as he can. But sometimes things happen even if you want to avoid it.
“Now we are playing every three days so it is probably difficult for him to be available for the Conference League. Hopefully he can be available soon.”
GO DEEPER
Reece James: Captain, leader, left-back
(Michael Regan/Getty Images)
