Chelsea captain Reece James has provided an injury update after making his first start of the season.
The Blues skipper hadn’t started a Premier League game for 10 months but was thrown back into the deep end on Sunday as Enzo Maresca’s side lost 2-1 to Liverpool at Anfield.
Maresca has confirmed James will only play one game a week for the foreseeable future after so many injury problems after the last two seasons or so, with the club having previously adopted a similar approach with Wesley Fofana and Romeo Lavia.
James lasted just under an hour at Anfield following a pre-planned substitution as Chelsea lost for the first time since August and confirmed he was “feeling good” after his comeback.
“It was great to be involved again,’ he said. “I missed playing in big games and playing against big players so it was a big step.
“It’s been a long time since I started a game, and starting here was always going to be tough, but I’m feeling good.
“The road to recovery has been tough – it definitely hasn’t been easy. I hope to stay strong, keep going, and help the team achieve what we want to achieve.”
Chelsea are presumably unlikely to include James in their lineup for Thursday’s Conference League clash against Panathinaikos, given Maresca’s previous comments.
Still, the Blues are back in action against Newcastle on Sunday, and James will hope to feature then.
