Reece James, Chelsea captain, out for around three months with knee injury

Prolonged absence

Chelsea captain Reece James is expected to miss around three months after undergoing knee surgery. Chelsea confirmed the operation was successful after the 26-year-old picked up the injury in training last Friday, before the Blues’ 5-1 home win over Bournemouth.

The latest expectation is that he will not return until 2027, ruling him out of key fixtures, including the games highlighted against Liverpool and Manchester City.

Xabi Alonso on timing

Chelsea’s head coach, Xabi Alonso, did not give a precise return date. Ahead of Saturday’s trip to Everton, he said: “No, I don't think so… we expect for that time that he's back… it's not exact the timeline with him… so it doesn't affect [transfer plans].” He added about the setback: “We are all disappointed for him… he wanted to have a good start after the international break… but in the last training he picked up an injury,” explaining they waited for the test results before confirming the next step.