London, Oct 16 (IANS) Captain Reece James has undergone successful minor surgery on a knee injury, Premier League club Chelsea said on Friday.
The 26-year-old defender was absent from Saturday’s 5-1 victory over Bournemouth at Stamford Bridge after sustaining an injury during the training session.
Medical assessments took place following the injury, confirming surgery would be the required course of action.
Chelsea said Reece has already begun his road to recovery and will be supported by the club’s medical department at Cobham during this rehabilitation phase. He will remain under the close supervision of the club’s medical team as he works towards a return to full fitness, though no strict timeline has been placed on his recovery.
Chelsea venture out of the capital for the first time this season with their second Premier League visit to Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium, before hosting Tottenham Hotspurs and Manchester United.
James has suffered multiple injuries over the past few seasons, causing him to miss several international tournaments with England since the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
His injury record improved last season, allowing him to play a prominent role in England’s World Cup campaign, during which the Three Lions reached the semi-finals.
James was among the players to withdraw from England duty during the most recent international break.
Before the international break, a knock ruled James out of a 3-0 loss to Brentford, which subsequently cost him a spot in Thomas Tuchel’s England squad. He had initially made a brief return to the training pitch ahead of the Bournemouth clash. However, manager Xabi Alonso revealed that the defender immediately experienced discomfort.
“He felt something, but after we did the tests later in the afternoon,” Alonso had sai. “He had some little issues on the knee, so we need to check how long it will be. We will assess it week by week.”
–IANS
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