Reece James is not expected to return to action before the end of December, following a scan that revealed the extent of the Chelsea right-back's latest hamstring injury. The 24-year-old, who has only made four appearances this season, had hoped his fitness issues were behind him after undergoing surgery last year. Chelsea's captain had the procedure with the aim of reviving his career after suffering a hamstring tear. However, James, who has played only 15 times since being appointed captain at the start of last season, missed last weekend's victory over Leicester and is likely to be sidelined for at least a month, meaning Chelsea must prepare to be without him during the busy festive period.
This is a significant setback for Enzo Maresca, who has had limited opportunities to utilize James since taking over as head coach last summer. James was suspended at the beginning of the season and then needed to recover from a minor injury. Despite this, his talent shone through as he immediately returned to the team, starting in Chelsea's 2-1 defeat by Liverpool in October. Maresca then deployed James as a left-back against Newcastle. The positive for Chelsea's head coach is that he has alternatives at right-back. There was surprise when Malo Gusto started instead of James during the draw with Arsenal this month. Gusto has been impressive since joining from Lyon last year.
The frustration for Chelsea is that James is widely regarded as one of the best right-backs in the world. He will be keen to reclaim his England place under Thomas Tuchel, who coached him at Chelsea. A knee injury prevented James from participating in the 2022 World Cup, and Gareth Southgate was not willing to risk selecting him for Euro 2024. Chelsea will aim to support James, who has suffered a series of hamstring and knee injuries since his first in December 2021.
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