Reece James is among 25 players that have travelled out to Abu Dhabi with Chelsea ahead of a warm weather training camp before domestic action returns. The group includes 12 academy players and also a selection of those also struggling with injuries.
As well as Ben Chilwell and N'Golo Kante - both of whom are out until after the New Year and won't be available for the Blues' next match against Bournemouth on December 27 - James and Wesley Fofana are also included. The defensive pair both remained sidelined since early October after going off with respective knee injuries against AC Milan in consecutive weeks.
Fofana was an outsider for Didier Deschamps' France squad - though that may have been boosted given Les Bleus' own injury issues - and James was almost certainly going to be Gareth Southgate's first choice right-back for the tournament. The duo have instead spent the last two weeks recovering in England.
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Chelsea fans have received a major boost just three weeks out from their domestic return though. James has been pictured back on the training field and was taking part in a bizarre drill. The 22-year-old is on camera heading a ball against the cross bar from two yards out with his teammates waiting in a line behind him.
He misses his first header to the despair of those seemingly in his team - it looks like a race - but gets the next two in a row and continues to run back to the line where his colleagues have created an archway for the ball with their legs.
Although it's not clear what the overall aim of the drill is, seeing James back in physical training is a good thing for those eager to have him back in the club side. Chelsea struggled for balance across the pitch without the Englishman and will be anticipating his return eagerly.
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