Chelsea's injury problems appear to have no end in sight. They already have some of their best players out injured. And several more names were added to that list coming out of the game against Liverpool. We have already talked about the issues picked up by Josh Acheampong and Benoit Badiashile, both of whom had to be subbed off on the night. Now, another name has been added to the list.
It is a familiar one as well, when it comes to the injury front of things. It appears that Reece James has picked up another issue.
James was set to be a part of England's national team squad for their October matches. But now, the Chelsea captain won't be involved for Thomas Tuchel's side.
The withdrawal and injury have been officially confirmed. As reported by talkSPORT, an England statement read:
"The Chelsea captain sustained an injury playing for his club over the weekend and has been ruled out of England’s October internationals following medical assessments."
Chelsea handed problem as another starter suffers injury
Any injury to James is a cause for concern. We all know about his injury history. If not for them, he would probably be the best right-back in the world right now.
One can only hope that this recent one is merely a precautionary withdrawal rather than something he could not have played through if the situation had called for it. England are set to take on Wales in a friendly game before a World Cup qualifier against Latvia.
Tuchel's side are in an incredibly strong position when it comes to the World Cup qualifiers though, having won all five so far. So, there is no reason to take any unnecessary risks, which is why James might have been comfortable pulling out.
The reality of the matter is that with his injury history, James' workload needs to be managed. He is playing more regular football at the moment than he has for years, probably going back to Tuchel's time at Chelsea. So, it should not come as a surprise that the decision was made for him to pull out of the next couple of England games, even if it does not turn out to be a significant fitness issue in the long run.