Reece James unwilling to rush Chelsea return and waiting for 'right moment' to make comeback from hamstring injury

Chelsea's new captain suffered an injury in the Blues' first game of the season against Liverpool and is yet to return.

WHAT HAPPENED? The 23-year-old full-back has endured plenty of injury frustration in recent seasons. He missed out on playing at the 2022 World Cup for England and spent the majority of the 2022-23 campaign on the sidelines. James returned to action this season and was even handed the captain's armband by Mauricio Pochettio but after their Premier League opener, he was once again ruled out action.

The Chelsea skipper has now revealed that he desperately wants to come back soon and help his side but also remained cautious regarding a proper recovery from his injury.

WHAT THEY SAID: "It’s been a tough few weeks for me since suffering an injury after the first game. My job is to play football and I want to be able to help the team, but I can’t do that at the moment, so right now my job is to get fit as quickly and as safely as possible," he told the club's media.

«I want to get back out there soon, but it’s also important to make sure that it’s the right moment so that when I do come back, I’m in a position to continue the season without any problems later on. I’m another stage closer to returning now I’ve been on the grass for the last couple of weeks and I’m working hard right now to come back, put my injury problems to bed and help the team as much as I can.»

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Chelsea's miseries have continued in the 2023-24 season, as the Blues lost yet another Premier League game against Aston Villa last time out. They have managed to register just one win in six league games and are down in a lowly 14th position in the table.

IN TWO PHOTOS:

WHAT NEXT? Pochettino's side will next face Brighton in a