Reece James, Chelsea’s  captain  has sustained fresh hamstring injury ahead of the new season, jeopardising his chances of selection for his new boss Enzo Maresca. 

With just some fews  days  before the league kickoff, the wind-back’s faces  an earlier setback which comes as a significant  blow for his team.

James, though a great team player, missed a greater portion of last season’s game due to injuries, was very impactful  and had a promising form during pre-season, starting all of  Chelsea’s five pre-season games.

He however experienced some pains during their  training session at Cobham ahead of  the team’s return from their pre-season  in the United States of America.

His injury has been described as minor by the teams physio’s , who earlier spoke to The Athletic with regards to the condition of anonymity. With this at hand, Chelsea is expected to make cautios progress, as they aim  for a return in their first ever clash  against Bournemouth on 14th Semptember.

The English born defender’s  repetitive  hamstring challenges  have limited his game time over the past years. With Last season not an exception, he featured in only five Premier League games following surgery in December to address a persistent problem in his left leg.

James was already set to miss Chelsea’s first three league matches due to a suspension from the previous season, leaving Malo Gusto, who had a strong 2023/24 campaign, as the likely replacement.

His absence however extends to Chelsea’s UEFA Conference League play-off fixtures against Braga or Servette, scheduled for August 22nd and August 29th.

The latest injury setback raises further concerns about James’s fitness as Chelsea prepare for a crucial start to the season.