Reece James: Chelsea defender set to be sidelined for ‘up to a month’ following injury and ‘toughest year’

Reece James is expected to be ruled out for up to a month following a setback to an ongoing knee problem, Chelsea have confirmed.

The Chelsea and England defender’s return to action against Bournemouth on Tuesday night following a lengthy absence was cut short when he was forced off early in the second half.

James lasted 53 minutes before signalling to the bench to be substituted and he has since undergone scans to see if he will need further surgery.

“Defender Reece James underwent assessment earlier today after being substituted during the second half of last night’s 2-0 Premier League victory over AFC Bournemouth due to a knee injury,” a club statement confirmed on Wednesday.

“Scan results have regrettably confirmed a setback for the 23-year-old, with Reece now set to be ruled out for up to a month.”

James suffered the initial knee injury on October 11 in a Champions League tie against AC Milan and missed out on an England call-up for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Following Tuesday night’s game, James took to social media to explain how the injuries had contributed to the “toughest year”.

“2022 has been the toughest year to date,” the defender said. “It’s naturally affected me mentally, I’m currently just tryna [sic] deal with the cards I’ve been dealt.”

Chelsea manager Graham Potter was concerned following the game on Tuesday, and had “fingers crossed” that the injury wouldn’t be as bad as first feared.

“It’s the same area, so we are concerned,” Potter said. “It’s really too soon [to tell]. We’ll have to see over the next 24-48 hours. He felt something there and we will have to find out the extent of it and keep our fingers crossed.

“He’s been really disappointed to miss the World Cup, of course. It was a huge blow to him. You could see today his quality and what he brings to the team. He is a world-class player. You see it from the outside but not until you work with him do you see how good he is.

“He could play in any team in the world, and any team would miss him. The plan was to play 60 minutes today so now he’s disappointed, of course.

“We hope it’s not as bad as it was and he can have a speedy recovery.”

James has only managed eight Premier League appearances in an injury-hit campaign for Chelsea.

Chelsea next travel to Nottingham Forest on New Year’s Day.