Reece James 'in a good place' for Chelsea despite World Cup snub, reveals Potter

Graham Potter has insisted that Reece James is "in a good place" for Chelsea despite missing out on the 2022 World Cup with England.

James available to face Bournemouth
Defender training well following setback
Blues looking to climb table

WHAT HAPPENED? The Chelsea defender was left out of Gareth Southgate's England squad for the World Cup after picking up a knee injury prior to the tournament. James admitted he was left "devastated" by Southgate's decision not to risk him in Qatar, with the Three Lions ultimately exiting the tournament at the quarter-final stage, but he has since worked hard to get back to full fitness. Potter revealed that the 23-year-old is raring to go ahead of the Blues' return to Premier League action against Bournemouth.

WHAT THEY SAID: The Chelsea manager has been impressed by James' reaction to the international disappointment, telling reporters: "I have to say he is in a good mood, he is in a good place. He has trained with us, is training well and is a good team-mate. He has dealt with it well. He is missing the World Cup. What can I say? All I can do is acknowledge that it is upsetting, that whatever he is feeling is normal and help him move forwards.

"It was a challenging period for him. It was a challenging period for all the players. You have to think on some level there is an effect there. They're only human."

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THE BIGGER PICTURE: James is one of Chelsea's main attacking outlets from right-back and his return is a major boost as Potter looks to haul the Blues from ninth position in the table. His side are currently nine points off the top four but they do still have two games in hand on their Champions League rivals.

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