Report: Injury plagued Chelsea star going all out to return to his physical peak

Chelsea captain Reece James is pushing all the limits to reach full fitness

Chelsea skipper Reece James admits that he hasn’t felt this good after recovering from the hamstring injury he suffered in a 1-1 draw with Liverpool in our first Premier League game of the season. Since then, they remained sidelined for a long period before returning against Arsenal.

James has been unlucky with injuries since last season when he was out for a lengthy time with a knee injury. These setbacks have largely impacted his ability to put on a consistent run of results to our benefit.

Since the start of the 2023 season, the right-back has missed 18 games in the Premier League due to injury and international games as well. The 23-year-old snubbed a chance to play for England in November international matches as he wanted to focus on his fitness. Clearly, he is not taking any chances.

Reece James is building his full-fitness. (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Images)
Reece James is building his full fitness. (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Images)

Since his return from a hamstring injury, the Blues captain has featured in many important games against Arsenal and Manchester City and now feels his strength and fitness building up, as he revealed to the club website:

‘‘I haven’t felt this good in a long time. I definitely feel my strength and fitness building up again. I haven’t been able to play 90 minutes yet, but I’m training, playing hard, and pushing the limits every day to get back to my best level.”

It is good to hear that James is upbeat about his condition. Given the setbacks he has suffered, it would be easy for one to lose faith. However, at 23, he has the best years of his career ahead of him and can achieve much as long as he remains fit.

Reece James has missed 18 games due to injury in 2023. (Photo by JAVIER SORIANO/AFP via Getty Images)
Reece James has missed 18 games due to injury in 2023. (Photo by JAVIER SORIANO/AFP via Getty Images)

James has been suffering from injuries a lot, which is bad news for the team. Even if it takes a while, it is imperative that we ensure he puts those issues behind him at the earliest. Choosing not to play in England’s matches was a wise decision. While Malo Gusto is a decent deputy, James is in a level of his own and can make a telling difference on his day.

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Despite his inability to play the entire ninety minutes, he is our captain and ought to be at every game. Hopefully, from here he will avoid getting injured and remain fit for the entire season.