Chelsea: Where is Reece James?

After getting the machine back on track with their narrow win on Bournemouth’s pitch last weekend, Chelsea will try to follow up away against West Ham in the opening matchday 5 of the Premier League, this Saturday (1:30 p.m.) with a view to temporarily catching up with the Big 4 and confirming their return to the forefront. For this London derby scheduled for the Newham district, the Blues, now managed by Enzo Maresca and still in a transition period, will have to deal with a host of injuries. While Malo Gusto and Roméo Lavia are uncertain, this is not the case for Omari Kellyman, who has already been announced as out. And for once, the Stamford Bridge residents will be without Reece James.

Still looking for his first minutes in the championship since the resumption of hostilities in August in the UK, the 24-year-old defender is struggling to put his physical problems behind him. Constantly weighed down by muscular genes or serious injuries, which greatly handicapped him during the previous season (Reece James only having 10 appearances in the Premier League), the England international (16 caps) is still not fit to return to the green field. Present at the conference on the sidelines of the duel against the Hammers and at the time of taking stock of the forces at his disposal, Enzo Maresca was questioned on the state of health of his player. Disillusioned, the Italian technician certainly provided details on his unavailability, but was not able to project himself on a possible return date.

The ordeal continues for Reece James…

“We have to wait until he is fit. This injury has delayed him but the most important thing for him is that he comes back 100%. But at the moment, that is not the case. His return? We have no idea at the moment. In this case, he was very unlucky.“, the former Leicester manager lamented to reporters on Friday. Earlier in the week, the British tabloid The Sun reported that the Blues’ medical staff had noted that his recovery was progressing more slowly than expected. However, sources close to the London club have certified that the main player concerned had not suffered a relapse or new hamstring injury. The ordeal continues for the Englishman, who has been forced to be patient for many weeks.

Adored by the Stamford Bridge crowd at his debut for his consistency and defensive solidity, Reece James had even been extended until 2028 in the summer of 2022 at a time when he was in the sights of several European big names. But since then, the Englishman has been let down by his body. Injured in the knee in October 2022, the Chelsea defender had been forced to draw a line under his participation in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Last season, the Redbridge native missed 38 matches with the English club, mainly due to a hamstring operation in December 2023. Too short to apply for a place in Gareth Southgate’s squad to play Euro 2024 in Germany, despite his return to competition in early May, Reece James had participated in the Blues’ summer tour of the United States. But yet another hamstring scare pushed him to the sidelines last August. Enough to raise questions about his ability to return to his former level and play a series of matches in a season that promises to be particularly grueling for his teammates…