Chelsea have confirmed that Reece James will spend up to a month on the sidelines after suffering another knee injury.
James had been ruled out since October after suffering a problem in the Champions League win over AC Milan. That injury saw him miss the World Cup. The right-back has only just returned to full fitness, but he was hit by another problem in Chelsea's clash with Bournemouth on Tuesday.
He was forced off after just 53 minutes after making a seemingly innocuous pass, to be replaced by Cesar Azplicueta. James underwent scans on Wednesday, with the Blues now confirming the full extent of his latest injury issue.
"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 statement from the Premier League side read.
"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."
Before the extent of his latest lay-off was confirmed, James admitted he had endured the "toughest year" of his career amid his multiple injury setbacks. But he promised to work hard during his recovery period.
"2022 has been the toughest year to date. I just wanted to thank you all for the support this year, none of it has gone unnoticed," he wrote in a post on Instagram.
"It’s naturally effected me mentally, but life is about dealing with the hand you’ve been dealt and that’s what I’m currently tryna do. I hope your end of year is filled with peace, joy and happiness. Love you all, catch you next year.
He later added on his Instagram story: "It hurts more than you could ever imagine. I guess it's just another learning lesson, what that lesson is, I'm yet to know. It's always hard to see a bigger picture when we live day to day.
"I'm sure I'll look back in the future and understand why this had to happen. Growth only takes place when you are challenged. In such a bad situation, there's still many things to be thankful for, you guys being one."
If he is sidelined for as much as a month, as feared, James will miss Premier League clashes against Nottingham Forest, Manchester City, Fulham, Crystal Palace and Liverpool. Blues boss Graham Potter admitted he was concerned for his star defender in the aftermath of the win over Bournemouth.
"It's the same area, so we are concerned. 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," Potter said.
"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."
