Chelsea defender Reece James has suggested that he is remaining upbeat over his latest hamstring injury.
The academy graduate has bene plagued by fitness issues in recent seasons, restricting him to just 30 Premier League appearances since the start of 2022-23.
Despite coming through the majority of pre-season unscathed, James was forced to miss the start of this campaign with another hamstring problem.
On October 20, the 24-year-old was handed a surprise return to the starting lineup in the away fixture at Liverpool, with James coming through a total of four matches before the international break.
However, head coach Enzo Maresca revealed on Thursday afternoon that James had suffered another hamstring injury in training earlier this week.
Speaking to reporters, the Italian suggested he was optimistic that the England international would not spend a significant period on the sidelines.
How has James responded?
With James now not due to speak to the media, club or national, in the short term, the Blues captain has taken to Instagram to address the development.
Reece James on Instagram: pic.twitter.com/rbGtdoMRUF
— Absolute Chelsea (@AbsoluteChelsea) November 21, 2024
By claiming that he has "been better and also been worse", James is seemingly indicating that he will spend no more than weeks on the sidelines, rather than months as has been the case in the past.
Chelsea have a total of 11 matches to play before the end of the calendar year, with Maresca and his players not having a single midweek off.
With three Premier League fixtures against Aston Villa, Southampton and Tottenham Hotspur to kick off December, James' current target may be an appearance in the squad for the Conference League fixture against Astana on December 12.
If more caution is required, the home encounter versus Shamrock Rovers in the same competition a week later may be a more suitable target.
In the short term, Malo Gusto, Axel Disasi and Wesley Fofana will be viewed as alternatives on the right-hand side of the backline.
Darren Plant
