Chelsea captain Reece James is suffering yet more injury woes this season and they do not seem to be easing as his current problem takes longer to shift than expected.
The 24-year-old is yet to make an appearance this campaign after picking up a hamstring injury during pre-season.
It was not thought to be serious and it was hoped that the full-back would return before the end of this month, but that may not happen now.
The Sun report that, while there has been no new problem, the injury has not recovered as quickly as hoped.
The club will also avoid rushing their captain back in fear of yet more injury trouble, so his return is not imminent.
The Blues have three more games this month as they go to West Ham on Saturday before hosting Barrow in the League Cup on 24 and Brighton in the Premier League on 28 September. It now seems that all those games will come too soon for James.
The frustrations continue for the talented right-back after he made just 10 Premier League appearances last season and only five of those coming in the starting XI.
It was a hamstring problem that kept him out for much of the last campaign after being named club captain by then manager Mauricio Pochettino.
The 2022/23 campaign was hampered by knee trouble, with James managing just 16 league outings in that season.
The last time he was able to make over 30 appearances over a campaign came in 2021/22 when he turned out 39 times across all competitions.
It has been a brutal run of luck for James, who was asked about his goals for the season over the summer and said: ‘I have one goal – to stay on the pitch.’
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