Reece James' injury hell shows no sign of ending as his highly-anticipated return from his latest fitness issue has been delayed. The Chelsea captain has been plagued with fitness concerns during his career that has seen him spend over 500 days on the sidelines. James is yet to make a single competitive appearance under new Blues boss Enzo Maresca as his torrid time with injuries continues.
The 24-year-old suffered a hamstring injury during his first official game as Chelsea captain on the opening weekend of the 2023/24 Premier League season. That problem saw him miss ten games, with James looking to manage his workload upon his return by skipping England duty last November. However, just a month after that, the defender suffered a recurrence of the hamstring issue in a 2-0 defeat to Everton.
Five months after undergoing surgery, James returned in the final few matches of last season but any hopes of proving his fitness to make a late case for a wildcard entry into England's Euro 2024 squad were ruined by a red card against Brighton in May. His ban extended into the first three Premier League games of this campaign yet an issue sustained over the summer has kept him out regardless. According to the Sun , James' third hamstring injury in a year has not healed as well as expected and club medics have put his comeback on hold.
Speaking ahead of Chelsea's 1-0 win over Bournemouth, Maresca hinted as much when he said: “Unfortunately, Reece James needs more time.” It's another .