Reece James suffers injury scare ahead of Chelsea’s pre-season tour as he ‘has a scan on his knee’| SolSportHQ
Reece James has had a scan on his knee ahead of the club’s pre-season tour to USA, according to reports.
The 23-year-old endured a miserable campaign with Chelsea in which he was restricted to just 24 appearances as the club floundered to a 12th-place finish.
James had a number of injury issues throughout 2022-23, including two knee injuries between October and January, and as such Chelsea fans will hope that this most recent scan is nothing more than a precaution.
James is still expected to be been included in the Blues’ tour of USA, where they will face Wrexham, Brighton, Newcastle, Fulham and Borussia Dortmund with the issue believed to be just a minor concern, as per The Athletic.
The report claims that the player felt some pain during a pre-season training session, prompting the scan in order to ascertain the extent of the damage.
As well as knee problems, James also struggled with hamstring problems, with one in particular ruling him out of the final seven games of the season, not long after he had returned from a layoff as a result of a thigh problem.
His knee issues had ruled him out of contention in Gareth Southgate’s England squad for the World Cup in Qatar.
The right back had been on holiday in Dubai, but was given a tailored fitness plan in order to get himself back fighting fit.
The player’s father revealed that James harbours ambitions to take fill the current captaincy void at the club, with Cesar Azpilicueta departing for Atletico Madrid, while also insisting that James’ future remained in west London.
Discussing James’s aims on The Beautiful Game Podcast, Nigel James said: ‘Reece is a top player so I’m sure most clubs would want to sign him but right now I don’t see anything changing.
‘He is a Chelsea player and until, if Chelsea wants to sell him, it’s like anything. If a club do not want to work with you anymore and for some reason they want to get rid of you then you go.
‘If they want you … he’s been there since six years of age, his ambition is to wear the armband and captain the side and it broke his heart the season we have had just gone.
‘Coming off the pitch, losing games, it really hurt him. I’m sure it hurt a lot of players. I can’t speak for the other players all I can speak for is knowing how painful it was for my son to feel his club …’
It is a big pre-season for Chelsea, who have welcomed new boss Mauricio Pochettino to the club for the first time in an official capacity as manager.
The Argentine is thought to have been working his new charges hard ahead of their tour to USA.
There have been a number of outgoings from Stamford Bridge in the off-season, with Kai Havertz, N’Golo Kante, Mateo Kovacic, Edouard Mendy, Kalidou Koulibaly and Azpilicueta among those to move on.
Chelsea will open their Premier League campaign at home to Liverpool on Sunday, July 13.
