Chelsea star Reece James fires clear message before Liverpool as new injury blow confirmed

Chelsea star Reece James fires clear message before Liverpool as new injury blow confirmed

Liverpool injury news as Chelsea captain Reece James sends a defiant message before his potential return.

Chelsea star Reece James is on the mend. (Image: Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images )

Chelsea star Reece James has made a strong statement as he re-joins their squad for training before the visit to Liverpool. The club captain, who has been absent from the pitch since May due to injury woes and a suspension, was spotted on the training ground with his fellow Blues earlier in the week.

After another setback in pre-season, James had to watch from the side-lines for the first couple of months of the new season. Despite being suspended for the initial three Premier League matches, he might have been available for the Conference League play-off rounds on the proviso his fitness had been up to par.

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Now playing under Enzo Maresca, James is embarking on his second season wearing the captain's armband. He's determined to bounce back from another challenging period.

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Last season saw James start just five Premier League matches, continuing an unwanted trend of injury setbacks. This followed a tough 2022/23 campaign in which he managed only 16 top-flight appearances.

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It's been nearly two years since James has been at his peak following a knee injury sustained while playing under Thomas Tuchel. Returning to Cobham for training is not just a significant morale booster for him but also a reason for Maresca and fans to be encouraged, as per reports from football.london.

After being captured in training pictures, James took to social media to share his progress, just days out from the match at Anfield. Within 24 hours, he was back at it, this time focusing on his leg tattoo.

On his right shin, the words; "I just didn't quit" are inked, a personal mantra which James has previously discussed, highlighting the emotional toll of spending time in recovery rather than on the field. The 24-year-old is now eager to leave his troubles behind as he intensifies his efforts towards his first appearance of the season.

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Maresca will provide an update on James' readiness, as well as the rest of his squad, later this week in preparation for the Liverpool game. He typically addresses the media each Friday.

The Italian head coach will, also, need to offer details on goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen after he was taken off for Denmark's Under-21 side. The young shot-stopper, who is yet to start a Premier League game but has been the midweek regular, is now doubtful to feature on Merseyside.

"It's crazy how unlucky he is," said manager Steffen Hojer after the match. "It [substituting the goalkeeper] wasn't planned and, instead, it's a semi-bad habit that we've got into with changing goalkeepers.

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"He got hit down there and wasn't quite at his best. We decided to take him out, so he didn't have to go back to Chelsea with something or other," Hojer added: "I don't know [exactly] how he's doing.

"I don't think it's something that people should be worried about. We just didn't want to take any chances."

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