Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has provided a concerning update on Reece James’ fitness and admitted he doesn’t know when the Blues captain will be fit.
James has been struggling with injury issues since the start of his Chelsea career, despite impressing when fit. After returning from a hamstring issue that prevented him from starting the season, James returned to Maresca’s squad but missed Chelsea’s clash against Leicester City on the weekend after suffering a setback to his earlier injury. Maresca has now admitted that he is unsure about when the right-back will return to the squad.
Speaking to the media, Maresca said: “Yes [he’s had a scan]. The only thing we can say is that he is getting better day by day.
“We don’t know how many days he needs. He’s getting better.”
Since the start of the 2022-23 season, James – who posted an emotional message on Instagram following his latest setback – has played in just 30 Premier League games. He is now set to miss at least two more clashes for the Blues and as such, the rumour mill has been churning with Chelsea reportedly being open to selling the once highly-rated right back.
Maresca has confirmed James’ absence from Chelsea’s Europa Conference League clash against Heidenheim on Thursday, November 28, and it is likely that the Blues captain will miss the Premier League encounter against Aston Villa on December 1.