Chelsea full-back Reece James is expected to make his return to action this week, according to reports, with crunch matches against Lille and Liverpool coming up.
The Blues defender has been out since late December, suffering a hamstring tear in a 1-1 draw with Brighton that forced him off before half-time.
The 22-year-old will be hoping to replicate his early season form, scoring four goals and assisting five in 16 Premier League appearances to become an unexpected goal threat for Thomas Tuchel.
His return may have come at an ideal time for the Blues, who have to face Lille in the Champions League knockout stages before making the trip to Wembley to face Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final.
Discussing the impact of James’ injury, the Chelsea boss said: “It is too long for all of us. For Reece, for us, we miss him a lot.
“I had the feeling right from the very start that we had to deal with a big injury and unfortunately, my feeling was right.”
The capacity of the academy product’s return is yet to be known, with the Daily Mail reporting he is set to be involved in the squad by the end of the week, though whether he will be able to start is another question.
James had flown out to the UAE with the Chelsea squad for the Club World Cup, suggesting he was nearing a return, but he was never involved in the semi-final or final.
Fellow wing-back Ben Chilwell also suffered a major injury, though he is set to miss the remainder of the season, with the pair’s absence clearly felt in Tuchel’s team selection.
The German has had to revert from his back three, to a back four, making up for a lack of defensive numbers when injuries hit in the congested winter fixture schedule.
The return of James may allow for a change back to three centre-backs, with the youngster able to play at right-wing-back over club captain Cesar Azpilicueta.
Options have hardly been a luxury at times in this season for Tuchel, selecting from a squad ravaged by injuries, however the return of Reece James could be a turning point in the latter stages of the season.
