Chelsea right-back Reece James has been reported to have damaged his hamstring, which ultimately means that he will not be available for the Blues’ final pre-season friendly against Inter. The 24-year-old made only 11 appearances last season due to fitness problems, and he has now suffered another blow after returning from Chelsea’s pre-season tour of the United States.
James captained the team in all their five pre-season games before picking up the “minor” hamstring injury after their return to England. While minor, the injury definitely raises concerns for James and Chelsea’s medical staff as he aims to avoid a repetition of last season’s troubles.
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca would have been planning for the new season anyway without his captain; he might well have rested James for this game against Inter as he already sits out the first three matches of the new campaign, due to a carry-over from a red card last season.
James will miss the first Premier League game against Manchester City, then against Wolverhampton Wanderers, and Crystal Palace. The Conference League play-off with either Braga or Servette probably comes too early for him too. It might be that James is back in contention after the September international break, which would make him available for the visit of Bournemouth.
