Reece James suffers a new setback at Chelsea after 271 days out due to injury
Enzo Maresca has revealed that Chelsea captain Reece James has suffered another injury blow.
The blues The right-back underwent surgery in December 2023 to fix a recurring hamstring problem that has greatly disrupted his career.
Jaime He missed much of the 2023/24 campaign before returning in October, featuring in each of the Blues' last four Premier League games.
Speaking ahead of Chelsea's trip to Leicester, live on talkSPORTboss maresca delivered an alarming update on his employer.
“We probably only have one injured player and that's Reece (James), who unfortunately felt a little something and we don't want to take any risks over the weekend,” Maresca said.
The Italian added: “Hopefully it won't be something long.”
James missed the start of the current season after suffering another hamstring problem over the summer and a suspension.
The defender's total number of days out injured since the start of last season amounts to 271.
As a result, he has only appeared four times, with his first appearance coming in the 2-1 Premier League defeat to Liverpool.
The 24-year-old then started and played the entirety of the 2-1 win over Newcastle and the 1-1 draw against Manchester United.
James was a late substitute in the 1-1 draw against Arsenal in what will be his most recent appearance for an undetermined period of time.
His latest injury will be a blow to Chelsea and their fans, who had recently welcomed their captain's return to the starting XI.
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Malo Gusto is likely to replace him, with Axel Disasi another option at right back alongside natural left back Marc Cucurella.
Since making his Chelsea debut in 2019, James has made 162 appearances for the club in all competitions over six seasons.
He was crucial to the Champions League title in 2021 and played the entire 1-0 final against Manchester City in Porto.
The Cobham academy product was announced as club captain in 2023 following the departure of César Azpilicueta.
James played 11 games last season, ten in the Premier League and one in the Carabao Cup.
