Chelsea have confirmed ahead of their New Year's Day match against Nottingham Forest that defender Reece James is set to be ruled out for up to a month after suffering a knee injury against Bournemouth.
James, 23, was making a first competitive appearance since mid-October against the Cherries but could not continue after feeling his knee just minutes into the second half of the match. After initially injuring the same right knee playing against AC Milan during the Champions League group stages, the full-back was sidelined for nine Chelsea matches and also missed out on a place in Gareth Southgate's squad at the World Cup as a result.
The 15-cap England international has only managed to make 14 appearances for club and country this season. In a tweet preempting the official announcement, James described 2022 as 'the toughest year to date'.
