The Football Association have confirmed Chelsea defender Reece James has left the England camp after picking up an injury during Saturday’s victory over Liverpool.
James produced a truly sensational 90 minutes in the 2–1 win, ending the game at centre back as a result of an injury crisis which saw both Benoît Badiashile and Josh Acheampong join Tosin Adarabioyo, Wesley Fofana and Levi Colwill on the treatment table.
Unfortunately for James, it appears to have come at a cost as the FA confirmed an examination from England doctors confirmed he picked up an injury.
The right back has withdrawn from the squad as a result, with versatile Manchester City youngster Nico O’Reilly taking his place.
There is no mention of either the nature or the severity of James’s injury. An Instagram post in the aftermath of the Liverpool game with a gruesome cut on his leg, but whether this is related to his withdrawal from the England squad is unclear.
The 25-year-old has had rotten luck with fitness problems over the past few years but has been slowly building up his fitness throughout Maresca’s tenure.
James started just 12 Premier League games across Maresca’s debut season as the Blues boss made a point of trying to protect his captain, who has already started four games this year and has nearly half as many minutes already as he managed across the entirety of the previous campaign.
Hamstring injuries have been the primary concern for James and fans are now eagerly awaiting a concrete update on his condition.
The international break gives James two weeks to focus on recovery and Chelsea will hope to have the captain back in time for the trip to Nottingham Forest on Oct. 18.
Chelsea fans are also awaiting a formal update on the fitness of star midfielder Moisés Caicedo, who was left out of the Ecuador squad for fitness reasons. The belief is that Caicedo is simply being rested over an international window made up of two friendlies.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Chelsea Injury Crisis Deepens With Another Confirmed Issue.
