Chelsea have reportedly identified two potential replacements for club captain Reece James.
Having contributed 11 goals and 22 assists from his 158 appearances in all competitions, the academy graduate is an asset to the Blues when fit.
However, the England international has endured frequent injury issues, most notably to his hamstring, that have kept him sidelined for a minimum of weeks at a time.
James had played a full part in pre-season, featuring in five matches, until he was left out of the final encounter with Inter Milan on August 11.
Almost six weeks have now passed by without the 24-year-old coming back into contention, a recent report suggesting there is currently no set date for his return.
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Chelsea ready to act?
Last weekend, head coach Enzo Maresca had to react by using Axel Disasi at right-back at Bournemouth, a consequence of Malo Gusto also being unavailable through injury.
Disasi was withdrawn just after the hour mark having failed to make a positive impression, highlighting that Chelsea ideally need a more natural alternative should James and Gusto be sidelined.
According to TBR Football, there are as many as five players who have been placed on a shortlist of potential alternatives ahead of 2025.
The standout names are said to be Barcelona's Jules Kounde, who could also be used at centre-back, and the more attack-minded Jeremie Frimpong of Bayer Leverkusen.
Nevertheless, the report adds that it is more likely that Chelsea's recruitment team would take the route of acquiring a younger option, as has been the case in many other positions.
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Who else is being considered?
Bayer Leverkusen's Kiliann Sildillia is another said to be under consideration, the 22-year-old having made three starts for France at the recent Olympic Games.
Michael Kayode has made 40 appearances for Fiorentina, with the 20-year-old having also earned three caps for Italy Under-21s.
There is also allegedly interest in 17-year-old Geovany Quenda from Sporting Lisbon, who has already made seven senior outings and played 73 minutes of the 2-0 victory over Lille in the Champions League earlier this week.
Darren Plant
