Chelsea picked up all three points in their return to the Premier League on Tuesday, but the story, unfortunately, revolves around an injury to Reece James. The Blues came into the match against Bournemouth having lost three successive league games. Injury bogs down a refreshing 2-0 result for the west London club.
Reece James left the match after just 52 minutes. The defender seemed to point to his knee after spending a few moments lying on the grass. Although he was able to walk through the tunnel by himself, the England international looked heartbroken as he walked off the pitch.
Tuesday’s match was James’ first appearance since October. The star right-back previously missed nine games in total with a knee injury. Seven of these matches were in the Premier League.
James is one of Chelsea’s most important players.
Before the Bournemouth match, Chelsea manager Graham Potter spoke about the importance of James. “Reece is a great player and when he’s not with us, he’s a failure,” Potter said.
Potter is not lying. In fact, Chelsea have won six of the eight Premier League games this season when James appears. He likens this to the team that picked up just one win in seven top-flight games without their star right-back.
The coach also stressed the need to help James get back into action during his pre-match press conference. “We just have to be clear and careful with the minutes that he plays, but I am confident that the more he plays, the more we will see what a fantastic player he is,” Potter said.
Injury bug returns for Reece James
It has been a very tough season for James. Normally a mainstay in Chelsea’s line-up, the defender has managed just 12 total appearances for his club during the current campaign. However, the aforementioned injury also forced the right-back to miss the World Cup in Qatar as well.
Chelsea fans will be holding their breath until news comes out about the severity of James’ injury. The Blues next play at Nottingham Forest on New Year’s Day.
PHOTO: IMAGO/PA Images
