Chelsea captain Reece James will miss the upcoming Premier League fixture against Leicester City due to injury, manager Enzo Maresca has confirmed. Speaking ahead of the match, Maresca revealed, “We have, for sure, just one injured player, and that is Reece. Unfortunately, he felt something small in training two days ago, and we do not want to take any risks with him this weekend. He is the only one who is definitely unavailable.”

The exact timeframe for James’ recovery remains uncertain, but Maresca suggested the injury might sideline him beyond this weekend. “It’s a hamstring, a muscular problem. We will see; we don’t know for how long. At the moment, it’s not improving, but we hope he will recover soon. He is out for this weekend, and it’s probably unlikely that he will be ready for the Conference League game next Thursday, but we remain hopeful.”

The 24 year old had only recently returned to action following a prolonged battle with injury. He made his comeback against Liverpool last month, and he has managed just four appearances since, accumulating 241 minutes on the pitch.

Injuries have plagued the defender’s career, with recurring hamstring issues significantly limiting his game time. During the 2023/24 season, James played just 482 minutes before undergoing surgery in December 2023. He also suffered another hamstring setback during preseason.