While Chelsea‘s appointment of Enzo Maresca as their new head coach has worked wonders for the team’s output on the pitch, the club continues to struggle with constant fitness issues in their personnel. Captain Reece James recently became their latest player to join the injury list, further depleting Maresca’s outfield options for his side’s upcoming Premier League fixture against Leicester City. But what actually happened to the up-and-coming right back?
Here’s everything you need to know regarding the Englishman’s latest ailment, including his projected return.
How did Reece James get injured while playing football?
Reece James has sustained a hamstring injury, which will keep him from traveling with his team to the East Midlands on the weekend.
Talking about his player’s deteriorated state last week, Maresca confirmed that James would be on the sidelines as a precautionary measure. He stated, “We have just one injured player, and that’s Reece [James], who unfortunately felt something small in training two days ago, and we don’t want to take a risk for the weekend,” as per BBC.
The unfortunate development comes after Reece James spent most of the last campaign on the treatment table due to a hamstring injury. As such, the 24-year-old defender could only play 482 minutes of first-team football in the 2023-24 season.
When will Reece James return to play with Chelsea FC?
At the time of writing, it remains unknown as to when Reece James could complete his recovery from his current injury.
However, judging by Maresca’s comments, Chelsea fans can expect their captain to be out for at least a week. Addressing James’ return to the field, the ex-Leicester City manager conveyed, “He is out this weekend, but hopefully he can be back soon. It’s probably difficult that he can be available for the Conference League [next Thursday], but hopefully soon.”
Since the start of his professional career, Reece James has suffered from a plethora of injuries. Aside from eight hamstring issues in the last four years, the full-back has also sustained six other injuries to his knee, thigh, and ankle.
