Reece James' surgeon reveals how long the Chelsea skipper will be out of action after his surgery for hamstring issue
Chelsea star Reece James' surgeon Lasse Lempainen has said that the club captain could be on the sidelines for another three to four months. James is out with a hamstring injury and last played for the Blues earlier this month against Everton.
Lasse Lempainen, an orthopedic surgeon, has said that the final call when Reece James returns to match fitness depends on the Blues. However, he predicts that the star right-back should be injury-free by the time Euro 2024 kicks off in Germany.
Lempainen was quoted as saying the following (from Telegraph via Fabrizio Romano):
“I am very convinced that Reece will be in top shape before Euro 2024. Chelsea will decide on how long he takes, but more likely we are talking about three to four months."
Reece James has had a stop-start 2023-24 season due to various injuries. The England international has played in only nine games across all competitions and has contributed just one assist.
James played 76 minutes in the opening Premier League game against Liverpool before picking up a hamstring injury. This saw him miss nine games, eight in the league and one in the Carabao Cup.
He returned to match fitness and played a further seven games in the league before picking up his most recent injury.
It is worth mentioning that Reece James has not completed full 90 minutes for Chelsea in any of his nine appearances this season.
It is vital Reece James returns to full fitness ahead of Euro 2024 in Germany. The 24-year-old full-back missed the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar after he picked up a knee injury last year. He cannot afford to miss yet another major tournament with England already having a plethora of right-backs to choose from.
Chelsea travel to Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League on Sunday
A Reece James-less Chelsea side will travel to face Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League on Christmas Eve. The Blues will want to build on their 2-0 victory over Sheffield United at Stamford Bridge last time around.
Chelsea are coming into the game on the back of good form. They secured a penalty shootout win over Newcastle United in the quarterfinals of the Carabao Cup in midweek.
In the league, however, the story is quite different. Mauricio Pochettino's side are languishing in 10th in the standings, having picked up 22 points from 17 matches. This could very well be yet another season where the Blues fail to qualify for any European competition via the league.