Chelsea captain Reece James provides injury update

Chelsea captain Reece James has posted an image of himself at the club's training ground with the caption "back to it soon", as the defender steps up his recovery from a hamstring issue.

The England international has not featured for the Blues since the opening weekend of the new Premier League campaign due to the injury that he picked up against Liverpool.

Initially, there had been fears that James was facing another lengthy period on the sidelines, but Chelsea head coach Mauricio Pochettino said in the middle of last month that the defender would be out for weeks rather than months.

The international break has given the defender extra recovery time, and he has provided a positive update on his recovery via his official Instagram account.

The 23-year-old missed the end of last season with a hamstring problem, while he also spent time on the sidelines with a knee injury during the 2022-23 campaign.

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Chelsea have made an indifferent start to their Premier League season, only picking up four points from four matches, which has left them down in 12th position in the table.

The Blues entered the international break off the back of a 1-0 home loss to Nottingham Forest, and they will be bidding to bounce back when they visit Bournemouth on September 17.

There are no indications when James could be available for selection once again, but Chelsea will then finish September with back-to-back home games against Aston Villa and Brighton & Hove Albion.

Malo Gusto has benefited from James's absence to enjoy a run in the side, but he is expected to be back on the bench once the club's captain has recovered from injury.

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The Englishman has a contract at Stamford Bridge until June 2028, but there remains speculation surrounding his long-term future with the Premier League outfit.

Real Madrid are said to be waiting to make their move for James, having identified him as the ideal long-term replacement for Dani Carvajal.

However, the defender's recent injury problems will be concerning to Real Madrid, who made a high-profile move for Jude Bellingham during the summer transfer window.

James made his debut for Chelsea in 2018, and he became a regular for the club after a successful loan spell at Wigan Athletic during the 2018-19 campaign.

In total, he has represented the Blues on 148 occasions, scoring 11 goals and registering 20 assists.