Chelsea's Reece James out until 2025 after hamstring injury

Chelsea captain Reece James is unlikely to return to action until 2025 due to his latest injury setback. James has faced persistent injury struggles in recent seasons, managing just 39 appearances across all competitions since the start of the 2022/23 campaign. According to The Telegraph, there is no fixed timeline for his return, as Chelsea aims to avoid putting pressure on him, given the emotional toll of another extended absence.

The new hamstring injury is reportedly unrelated to the one that required surgery last December, which sidelined him for the latter half of last season and the start of this one. This development is a significant setback for James, who had been hoping to regain consistency after two injury-plagued years. His return to Chelsea's starting lineup on October 20 in the game against Liverpool seemed promising, but he managed only four games before his latest injury.

The England international is said to be devastated, having played just 654 minutes of football since being named Chelsea captain 15 months ago.