Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel provides an injury update on Reece James
According to football.london, speaking in the pre-match press conference, Chelsea head coach Thomas Tuchel provided an injury update on defender Reece James, ruling him out of the weekend’s FA Cup clash against Plymouth Argyle as well as the club’s trip to Abu Dhabi to take part in the FIFA Club World Cup.
The Englishman had been ruled out with a hamstring injury that he suffered against Brighton during the Blues’ 1-1 draw against the Seagulls back in December. Since then, the defender has missed several games across multiple competitions and his absence has been noticeable.
Tuchel did not provide an exact date for the Englishman’s return to action, claiming that patience is key to his recovery. The manager said that he was aware of the fact that it was a big injury straight away, and will need time to heal.
“For Reece, I am too long a coach to not get overexcited by pure dates that are maybe out there. The injury was a big injury and I felt it straight away. The diagnosis was straight away it was a big injury and from there we have to be patient.”
The German also said that James had caught flu the previous week, which saw him lose a few precious days in his period of recovery, hampering his return to the team. This comes as a blow to Tuchel, who has had to make do with Cesar Azpilicueta as the club’s lone senior right-back.
A major injury blow
James’ injury was certainly felt in the team, with Chelsea missing the energy and creativity that the England international brought onto the pitch. Azpilicueta has done a fine job deputising for the Cobham graduate, but Blues fans know that James offers a different edge to the team when fit.
Tuchel said that he expects James to take a few weeks to get back to fitness, and is not in training as of yet. This timeline effectively rules out the defender from taking part in the FIFA Club World Cup which starts in a few weeks.
“He is not in team training yet, so maybe that answers the question. After a couple of weeks, he will need some time in team training to get the confidence back. He does not travel with us to the Club World Cup.”
This latest update on James will come as a massive blow to Tuchel, who was hoping to have the right-back return to fitness this month as we enter a crucial period of games that could see us win two trophies before March. The Carabao Cup and FIFA Club World Cup trophies are very much there for the taking, and the German boss will be counting on his best players to do their part when called upon.
For James, this continues a frustrating spell on the sidelines, which now extends to almost two months since he last played for his boyhood club. The Cobham graduate has grown in leaps and bounds since his debut for Chelsea, and he will hope to return from the setback stronger than ever.
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Though a right-back by trade, James has proven to be the X-factor on the flanks, with a strong sense of attacking traits that have seen him not only contribute to his club’s goals but also score a few of them as well. To put this in numbers, only four Chelsea stars have scored more than his five goals for the team this season.
Despite the injury blow, Tuchel has no time to ponder on the issues and is in need of finding solutions. Azpilicueta will be relied upon once again, and fans can live in the knowledge that the Spaniard continues to give it his all on the field. The skipper is sure to perform well at right-back till James makes a return to the team.