Reece James' personal trainer posted and later deleted an angry message on social media after the defender picked up a fresh injury in Chelsea's 2-0 win over Bournemouth.
The right-back was making his first appearance for the Blues since mid-October, having spent the months since then recovering from a serious knee injury. Though three points for Graham Potter's side means Chelsea have ended their miserable run of six games without a win, the victory was marred by fears over this latest set-back for James.
Having been forced to get over the mental anguish of missing the World Cup with England because of the fitness issue, James put in an impressive first-half display during his first game back but his integration back was curtailed with another knock to the same knee that has caused him so much trouble.
It was a moment that did not go down well with the defender's personal trainer James Ralph, who also considers a number of the other Chelsea stars as clients. He took to Instagram to issue a mysterious message that read: "I need to bite my tongue despite having a LOT to say."
The message was uploaded to Instagram and posted on a black background, accompanied by frustrated emoji, a crying emoji and a zipped-mouth emoji - it has since been deleted.
It is unclear what Ralph is implying, but many have interpreted the message as the personal trainer suggesting James was hurried back during his recovery process prematurely.
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Potter's assessment of the situation in the immediate aftermath of the final whistle made for worrying reading from a Chelsea perspective.
"He felt something there and we will have to find out the extent of it and keep our fingers crossed," the Blues manager explained. "He's disappointed, of course, he is. At the moment we are hoping it isn't as bad.
"He's been really disappointed to miss the World Cup, of course. It was a huge blow to him. You could see today his quality and what he brings to the team.
"He's had to deal with the injury and he's done that well. The plan was to play 60 minutes today so now he's disappointed, of course. We hope it's not as bad as it was and he can have a speedy recovery."
James' himself has since broken his silence, issuing an update to his fans on social media less than 24 hours after he was hooked seven minutes into the second half.
"2022 has been the toughest year to date. I just wanted to thank you all for the support this year, none of it has gone unnoticed," the 23-year-old added.
"It's naturally effected (sic) me mentally, but life is about dealing with the hand you've been dealt and that's what I’m currently tryna do. I hope your end of the year is filled with peace, joy and happiness. Love you all, catch you next year."
He then added a more emotional follow-up message on Instagram that read: "It hurts more than you could ever imagine. I'm guessing it's another learning lesson, what the lesson is I'm yet to know.
"It's always hard to see the bigger picture when we live day to day. I'm sure I'll look back in the future and understand why this had to happen. Growth only takes place when you are challenged.
"In such a bad situation, there's still many things to be thankful for - you guys being one."
Thankfully for James, it would appear that the injury is not as bad as first feared and he is looking at weeks rather than months on the sidelines.
Scans on Wednesday morning have sparked hope that James could be back in action as early as the beginning of February.
