Chelsea suffer fresh injury blow as star withdraws from national squad | OneFootball

Chelsea Concern Over Reece James Injury Ahead of England Duty

Chelsea supporters have grown used to holding their breath when it comes to Reece James and fitness updates, and once again there is cause for concern. The right back has withdrawn from the England squad after picking up an injury against Liverpool, raising fresh questions about his availability for both club and country.

Standard Sport reports that the issue is considered minor, with his withdrawal understood to be precautionary due to his previous injury history. Even so, any interruption for James is treated seriously within Chelsea circles. His game-time this season has already been managed carefully, shared with Malo Gusto on the right side of Enzo Maresca’s defence, and another setback could see that rotation plan disrupted.

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England Adjustments After James Withdrawal

Thomas Tuchel has turned to Manchester City’s Nico O’Reilly as cover. In receiving his maiden senior England call-up, the 20-year-old leapfrogs the Under-21s setup where he had originally been selected.

O’Reilly is naturally a midfielder but has earned minutes under Pep Guardiola at left back, offering tactical versatility that may prove handy with England short on full-back options. Including the suspended Trevoh Chalobah, there were already eight England players unavailable for the match against Liverpool, highlighting the stretched resources across both squads.

England face Wales in a friendly at Wembley before travelling to Riga for a World Cup qualifier against Latvia on 14 October. The switch from trusted names like James to experimental selections such as O’Reilly adds intrigue to the upcoming fixtures and puts further pressure on England’s defensive setup.

Chelsea Hoping For Swift Recovery

Chelsea’s medical team have already conducted initial assessments and plan to use the international break to rest James further. The Blues resume Premier League action away at Nottingham Forest on 18 October, giving the club just over a week to determine whether James can feature.

If his injury proves more serious than stated, Enzo Maresca will be forced to lean heavily on Gusto for an extended run, something he may have preferred to stagger. There is also the strategic consideration of long-term conditioning, with Chelsea already juggling absences elsewhere in the squad.

Opportunity For Others Amid Setback

While Chelsea would rather avoid another spell without their influential captain, the circumstances give Gusto a chance to cement himself and potentially invite formation tweaks from Maresca. Tuchel too must adapt his England plans, particularly as injuries have already led to multiple adjustments.