Will Reece James be fit in time for the Euros? Surgeon who performed procedure on Chelsea star’s hamstring makes return date prediction

The Chelsea skipper succumbed to yet another hamstring injury during Chelsea's 2-0 defeat against Evertonearlier this month which forced him to go under the knife. However, James is set to make a full recovery from his hamstring injury, ensuring his fitness for the European Championships, according to Dr. Lasse Lempainen, the renowned surgeon who operated on him.

“I am very convinced that Reece will be in top shape before the European Championships,” said Lempainen to The Telegraph. “Chelsea will decide on how long he takes, but more likely we are talking about that kind of period [three to four months].”

Despite ongoing hamstring issues, Lempainen believes that the surgery significantly minimises the risk of further injuries to James's right leg. Additionally, Lempainen aims to strengthen the left side during the rehab process to reduce any potential risks.

“Yes, absolutely, the surgery gives Reece a better chance of staying fit and not having a recurring problem,” said Lempainen.

“We are only talking about the right side, of course, because he also had some problems in his left side before. Now, also during the rehab, particularly in the last phase when we do the sport-specific rehab, we will do our best that these risks should be minimised. The hamstring on the right will be stronger, yes.

“This is the first time I’ve worked with Reece. When I do operations for high-level athletes, one of the basic requests is that I want to be involved during the whole rehab process. It doesn’t matter if you do a good operation if the rehab is not done correctly and now I will be part of the whole rehab process and monitor that.

“We will try to do our best during the rehab process to assess the risk factors in Reece’s left hamstring and try to help his strength, mobility and sprinting technique, so Reece can enjoy high-level football again.”

Lempainen has worked with several top European clubs including Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, Paris St-Germain, Inter Milan, AC Milan, Juventus, Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest. He has honed his skills under the guidance of Dr Sakari Orava, the surgeon who operated on David Beckham’s Achilles.

Lempainen revealed that James might be potentially asked to visit Finland during the recovery or he might travel to London as well. He will be in touch with Chelsea's medical staff to ensure that the rehabilitation plan is being followed accurately.

“We also discussed with Chelsea’s medical director about the rehab process and the sport-specific phase that will be very important," he said.

"When he is starting to train with the team again in future, that is a very important phase and we have spoken about Reece coming back to Finland when the time is right to do those tests.”

Nonetheless, the positive outlook bodes well for England manager Gareth Southgate, as James aims to return to competitive action in time for next summer's Euros.