Chelsea captain Reece James has vowed to approach his long-awaited return from injury with caution.
The England international has not played since coming off during the draw at home to Liverpool in August as fitness problems continue to mount.
James missed the World Cup last winter following a knee injury, while a hamstring problem limited the 23-year-old to only 14 Premier League starts last time out.
It has been a frustrating start to life under Mauricio Pochettino, who is missing a host of big name players as his team continue to struggle in the opening stages of his maiden campaign.
Pochettino is even lighter at right-back now following Malo Gusto’s red card during the loss to Aston Villa on Sunday but James says he cannot rush his return, given the nature of the injury.
“It’s been a tough few weeks for me since suffering an injury after the first game,’ said James.
“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.”
