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Chelsea have confirmed that Reece James has undergone minor knee surgery after remaining absent against Bournemouth, having not been selected by England during the international break.
The Chelsea skipper is now set for an unknown period on the sidelines after yet another injury. It comes after the 2025-26 campaign in which Chelsea looked after him and managed his minutes last season.
With Reece James injured AGAIN, is it time to strip him of the captaincy? 😕 If so, who are you giving it to?
No timeline has been given for his return…
Jordan Henderson! There's a reason he keeps getting picked by top managers, so may as well use it!
James then picked up another hamstring injury during the World Cup, and while he started the season fit, it has been confirmed that the skipper – who signed a new deal this year – has another knee injury.
READ MORE: Chelsea casualty is “so happy” after £33m profit in the summer
Reece James has missed 130 matches due to injury.
Back in the summer of 2019, Chelsea had just appointed Frank Lampard as Maurizio Sarri’s replacement. Lampard had to deal with a Chelsea transfer ban, and that meant relying on the esteemed academy.
James, meanwhile, had returned from an impressive loan at Wigan during 2018-19. He was immediately drafted into the first team alongside players like Tammy Abraham, Mason Mount and Fikayo Tomori.
Since then, James has clocked up 235 appearances for Chelsea. But it should be a lot closer to a total of 400, had it not been for injury. We take a look at just how many games James has missed through injury.
Season Chelsea games James apps Games missed through injury Rest/Suspended/Unused
2019-20 55 37 12 6
2020-21 59 47 4 8
2021-22 63 39 17 7
2022-23 50 24 24 2
2023-24 51 11 38 2
2024-25 64 32 21 11
2025-26 59 39 12 8
2026-27 8 6 2 0
TOTAL: 409 235 130 44
While these numbers cannot be absolutely accurate due to rest after an injury, or being left on the bench without being 100% fit, they are as close as can possibly be known to the truth; James is injury-prone.
What has been Reece James’ biggest injury problem?
While James has since clocked up 235 appearances for Chelsea, the skipper has been ravaged by injuries. Hamstring injuries have been his biggest issue, despite an operation in Finland back in December 2023.
Despite further operations, the managers in the Chelsea dugout – and England – have had to manage his minutes to prevent further injury. Muscle tightness, strains, and the odd pull or tear have also occurred.
Knee issues have been a problem too, with the latest injury forcing a knee operation. It is unknown how many games he will miss this time around, but it will certainly add to the 130 matches he has missed.
Ankle problems have been a lesser injury, likely caused by his hamstring problems. Now, Chelsea go to Everton, and James will be missing, with the Blues hoping to avoid the same result they suffered last term.