'The comeback is coming!' - Reece James says Chelsea return is imminent as he overcomes 'setbacks' in recovery from hamstring injury

James has been out since December due to a hamstring injury and has been limited to just nine appearances all season, having sustained another issue in the opening game of the campaign. Nevertheless, he maintains that he will soon be back on the pitch for the Blues and for England.

Writing on Instagram, he said: "All these setbacks I took would break you, the comeback is coming." He also posted images of himself with his team-mates, and of his recovery.

James has not enjoyed a season without a severe injury since the 2020-21 campaign, when he made 32 appearances in the Premier League. Since the beginning of the following campaign, 2021-22, he has missed 74 first-team games.

Chelsea are next in action this weekend against Brentford. That game comes on the back of mixed fortunes in the cup competitions; they lost last weekend's Carabao Cup final to Liverpool but beat Leeds United to reach the quarter-finals of the FA Cup.