Chelsea have announced that their captain, Reece James, has undergone successful surgery on a knee injury. The 26-year-old defender was injured in training ahead of Chelsea’s 5-1 win over Bournemouth last weekend, and the decision was subsequently taken for him to have an operation.
James is now undergoing rehabilitation with Chelsea’s medical staff. The club has not given any timeframe for his return to action.
His absence comes at a demanding point in Chelsea’s calendar. The Blues travel to Everton in the Premier League next, before hosting London rivals Tottenham and then Manchester United in a testing run of fixtures. A trip to Liverpool in the Carabao Cup sits between those two home matches.
The injury continues a difficult pattern for James, who has suffered multiple injuries over the past few seasons and has consequently missed several international tournaments with England since the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. His injury record improved significantly last season, however, allowing him to play a prominent role in England’s World Cup campaign, in which they reached the semi-finals before winning the bronze medal match.
James was among the players to withdraw from England duty during the most recent international break. The next international break begins at the start of November, when England are scheduled to face Croatia at Wembley Stadium.