Reece James Unwilling To Rush Chelsea Return

The new captain of Chelsea, Reece James was hurt against Liverpool in the season opener for the Blues, and he has not yet recovered.

The 23-year-old fullback has been frustrated by injuries a lot recently. He did not represent England at the 2022 World Cup and sat out for the bulk of the 2022–23 season. Mauricio Pochettin gave James the captain’s armband when he returned to play this season, however following their Premier League debut, he was once more ruled out of action.

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The Chelsea captain has now acknowledged that he is anxious to return soon and support his team, but he is also wary about making a full recovery from his injury.

He said, “It’s been a tough few weeks for me since suffering an injury after the first game. My job is to play football and I want to be able to help the team, but I can’t do that at the moment, so right now my job is to get fit as quickly and as safely as possible.

“I want to get back out there soon, but it’s also important to make sure that it’s the right moment so that when I do come back, I’m in a position to continue the season without any problems later on. I’m another stage closer to returning now I’ve been on the grass for the last couple of weeks and I’m working hard right now to come back, put my injury problems to bed and help the team as much as I can.”

The 2023–24 season hasn’t been kind to Chelsea, who recently fell to Aston Villa in another Premier League match. In six league games, they have only been able to pick up one victory, and they currently hold the dismal 14th spot.

Wednesday’s Carabao Cup third-round matchup pits Pochettino’s team against Brighton.