Chelsea hit by huge blow with Reece James set to undergo surgery on hamstring injury and set to miss up to four months

Chelsea captain James injured his hamstring in a 2-0 defeat to Everton earlier this month. Having suffered from hamstring injuries all his career, the full-back has decided to undergo surgery in Finland, per the Daily Mail. The severity of the issue means he is expected to be out of action for three to four months.

James missed the first two months of the season with a hamstring injury and was only back in action for one month before he suffered a recurrence of the problem. James took his time in deciding to undergo surgery, but the hope is that the procedure will solve the issue once and for all.

Other elite footballers including Paris Saint-Germain winger Ousmane Dembele have previously undergone hamstring surgery in Finland, where Sakari Orvara and Lassi Lempainen are regarded as leading specialists.

James is unlikely to be fit for England's March friendlies against Brazil and Belgium, but he could be in contention to be included in Gareth Southgate's Euro 2024 squad. As has been the case in Chelsea's last two games, Mauricio Pochettino will likely use Axel Disasi as James' replacement.