Chelsea captain Reece James has suffered another hamstring injury, marking his 10th such setback since December 2020. The injury comes just days after the 26-year-old signed a new six-year contract with the club.
James has featured in six of Chelsea’s last seven matches this season and had largely avoided fitness issues, missing only five games. After signing his new deal last week, he spoke about overcoming previous challenges:
“I had to come through a lot, two or three years of struggles and setbacks. I’m in a really good place at the moment. My body is feeling good, I’m playing on a regular basis, two or three games a week.”
The latest injury comes at a critical time for Chelsea, who have slipped to sixth in the Premier League after winning just one of their last five games. The Blues also face a tough challenge to overturn a 5-2 deficit against PSG in the Champions League on Tuesday.
“Reece felt something in his hamstring against Newcastle,” head coach Liam Rosenior said on Monday. “Really frustrating and disappointing for us. We don’t know the full extent of the injury, but it rules him out of tomorrow’s game. With a hamstring injury, it’s never great, and for Reece, we can get him scanned and then know more. He’s an important player and a leader in the group – he’s our captain.”
James had been expected to feature in Thomas Tuchel’s England squad for the World Cup, with selections due by May 30. However, he will now miss England’s upcoming friendlies against Uruguay and Japan in March.