"This is my hope" - Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino provides Reece James fitness update ahead of Brentford clash
Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino is hopeful that right-back Reece James will return to action before the end of the season.
The injury-prone James, 24, has appeared just nine times across competitions this season, bagging an assist. He has missed 27 games due to a hamstring injury, which necessitated surgery, and another due to a yellow-card suspension.
Since the 2019-20 season, the Englishman has missed a whopping 89 games across competitions due to various injuries. He last played for the Blues in the 2-0 home win over Blackburn Rovers in the EFL Cup third round on November 1.
Ahead of the Premier League clash at Brentford on Saturday (March 2), the Blues boss said that there's no date yet for James' return, but it could happen before the season ends.
"I think Reece will be involved before the end of the season," said Pochettino (as per transfer expert Fabrizio Romano).
"This is my hope, but, for me, the priority is about him, to help him find his best again to feel solid and strong. I cannot say the exact date of when his return is possible".
The Blues, coming off a 3-2 midweek home win over Leeds United in the FA Cup fifth round, are 11th in the Premier League after 25 games, a whopping 17 points behind fourth-placed Aston Villa (52).
How has Reece James fared for Chelsea?
Reece James has been a solid performer for Chelsea whenever he has been fit. In 156 games across competitions, he has contributed 11 goals and 21 assists.
His best season for the Blues so far has been the 2021-22 campaign, with the Englishman contributing an impressive six goals and 10 assists in 39 games across competitions.
Most of these goal contributions - five goals and nine assists - came in 26 games in the Premier League, where Chelsea finished third, 19 points behind champions Manchester City (93).
James scored once in six games in the UEFA Champions League, where the defending champions reached the quarterfinals. He also provided an assist in four games in the EFL Cup, where the Blues lost to Liverpool in the final on penalties.