It has been a tough summer for Chelsea wonderkid Reece James.
Following an impressive 2018/2019 campaign on loan at Wigan Athletic, some were tipping the teenager to make a strong case in pre-season and get the nod over Cesar Azpilicueta at right-back.
However, injury denied James of that opportunity.
Whilst on international duty with England, the defender damaged ligaments in his ankle during the Toulon Tournament in the summer and had to undergo surgery.
It was a setback, but the future is looking bright.
After a few months on the sidelines, James is closing on a return to action as he is now off crutches and back in full training with the Chelsea squad ahead of this weekend's clash against Wolves in the Premier League.
Whether he is included in the squad for the game at Molineux Stadium remains to be seen, but James being available for selection will certainly be welcome news for head coach Frank Lampard.
And judging by the 19-year-old's first words after making his return to training, he is delighted.
James took to social media and tweeted: "It's been a while," accompanied with a smiley face emoji.
Should James not feature against Wolves then his Chelsea first-team won't be too far away.
A return date of September 25th, the date of the Blues' third round League Cup tie against Grimsby Town has been suggested by Premier Injuries.
In other Chelsea injury news, Antonio Rudiger, N'Golo Kante, Mateo Kovacic and Pedro are all hoping to face Wolves.
Callum Hudson-Odoi is making good progress, while Ruben Loftus-Cheek is pencilled in for a return at the beginning of November.
