Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca says Reece James is “getting better day by day.”
The Blues captain sustained his most recent hamstring injury during the recent international break, forcing him to miss last weekend’s Premier League victory against Leicester City.
He also did not travel with the squad to Germany for Thursday’s Conference League clash against Heidenheim.
Speaking at a pre-match press conference, Maresca was asked about James’ progress.
He 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.”
James’ career has been marred by repeated injury setbacks, particularly over the past three-and-a-half seasons.
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Last season, the England international managed just 482 minutes of play across all competitions.
He eventually underwent surgery in an effort to address his persistent hamstring issues, which ruled him out of contention for England’s Euro 2024 squad.
The 24-year-old returned to action during pre-season but suffered a hamstring strain in a friendly against Real Madrid.
A further training ground setback kept him sidelined for the first seven matches of Chelsea’s Premier League campaign.
James made his season debut in a 2-1 loss to Liverpool and later completed full matches against Manchester United and Newcastle.
However, another training injury during the international break has put him back on the sidelines, including missing Chelsea’s most recent fixture against Leicester.
While Chelsea fans hope to see James back in action soon, Maresca’s comments suggest patience will be required as the defender continues his recovery.
