Chelsea captain Reece James suffers fresh injury setback

Chelsea full-back Reece James has suffered an injury setback, but the extent of the damage will be revealed upon further examinations, Nathan Gissing reports.

The 23-year-old cannot seem to catch a break in his quest to stay fit, having endured recurring injury problems over the last two years.

It got worse last season as a combination of knee and hamstring problems restricted James to just 16 Premier League games and 24 in all competitions.

He featured regularly during pre-season, and it seemed like a new chapter in his career after he was appointed Chelsea captain earlier this month.

Fulfilling his boyhood dream, the England international led the Blues in their Premier League curtain-raiser against top-four rivals Liverpool.

However, he struggled to last until full time in the 1-1 draw against the Reds and was replaced by French counterpart Malo Gusto in the 76th minute.

Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino allayed fears of another injury, claiming the right-back was replaced due to fatigue-related concerns.

However, James has suffered a hamstring problem and is due for a scan later today. It remains to be seen how long the Englishman will spend in the treatment room.

Gusto, who is slowly endearing himself to the Chelsea faithful, could be set for an extended time in the starting line-up.

The 20-year-old, who has won seven caps for the France under-21 national team, is widely regarded as one of Europe’s finest full-backs in his age group.

The former Olympique Lyonnais youngster has already shown glimpses of his undoubted talent and will be eager to stamp his authority at right back in the absence of his captain.

James joins Chelsea’s star-studded list of sidelined talents that includes summer signing Christopher Nkunku, Trevoh Chalobah and Wesley Fofana.