Frank Lampard confirms Chelsea setback with Reece James and Mason Mount out
Chelsea boss Frank Lampard has confirmed that Reece James and Mason Mount are probably for the rest of this season due to their respective injuries.
The boss revealed that James picked up a hamstring injury while playing against Real Madrid last week. Although he played through till the end, scans revealed the extent of the damage.
Mount, on the other hand, has been struggling with an abdominal issue in the last few weeks. Lampard confirms that it is at a stage now where a mini surgery is required. So, he will be out for a minimum of four weeks.
Here’s what the manager said when asked about the team news and elaborating on the issues James and Mount are dealing with (h/t Football.London):
“Reece James is unavailable, probably for the season. Mason Mount is the same. Potential for the last game of the season but probably not. That’s obviously disappointing for us. Kai still struggling a little bit with his knee, won’t be available for tomorrow but the good news is he should be training at the end of the week.
“For all of us because they’re [James and Mount] big players. Reece had a hamstring he picked up in the Madrid game, he got through the game but we scanned it the following day. Mason has been carrying this pelvic injury for quite a while, it pre-dates myself. We’ve been trying and the medical staff have been trying but we’ve got to the stage now where he’ll have a minor surgery. Probably a four-week recovery and we know where that gets us to.”
The English duo will surely miss the Premier League derby against Brentford on April 26 at Stamford Bridge. Our season is effectively over with chances of making Europe nearly impossible. It’s best not to risk the two and risk further damage.
Since the start of 2022, James has struggled with consistent availability due to injuries. Numbers say, the 23-year-old has missed 38 games since the start of last season. That number will increase to 45 because of the current setback. Keeping that in mind, the latest hamstring injury would not only be concerning for his immediate future, but for the long-term as well.
Mount has been fairly injury-free throughout his time as a first-team Chelsea player. Hence, this abdomen issue should be sorted out once the surgery is done and he recovers from that.
The big question regarding him is whether he has played his last game for the club. The 24-year-old’s contract expires next summer, and if there is no extension signed this summer, he could be sold. An array of clubs are interested in signing him as well.
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- Chelsea agree to send Anthony Barry to Bayern Munich to work with Thomas Tuchel
If we talk about the here and the now, things go from bad to worse for Lampard. Having lost his first four games as an interim boss, the last thing he would have wanted is long-term injuries to key players like James. Chelsea with and without James are chalk and cheese.