There is optimism surrounding James’ injury situation despite his unexpected withdrawal from the England squad for their Euro qualifier against Ukraine, according to reports.
The English FA confirmed James‘ withdrawal from the national team for an assessment of what they described as “an ongoing issue”.
According to The Athletic, it is a minor hamstring injury.
The 23-year-old is now one of the several Chelsea players who are recovering from injuries during the international break, alongside Thiago Silva, Cesar Azpilicueta, and fellow England internationals; Mason Mount and Raheem Sterling.
James’ possible absence would be a big blow for Chelsea, who are not only short on right-back options but are also preparing for big matches, including the Champions League quarter-final tie against Real Madrid, in April.
On a positive note, The Athletic claims that the decision to send James back to Chelsea was made as a precaution.
In addition to that, there is reportedly optimism that the defender will recover in time for the busy schedule in April.
James also only made a six-minute cameo in England’s win over Italy on Thursday, so he had not played at high intensity for long.
The England international missed Chelsea’s win over Leeds United due to a hamstring issue earlier this month but went to feature against Borussia Dortmund just days after.
He had a long-term injury that kept him out of the 2022 World Cup, but it was a knee injury.
Still, it would make sense if Graham Potter decides to be more cautious when managing James’ workload given his importance to the squad.
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