Overview

• Reece James will miss Chelsea's Premier League match against Leicester City on Saturday due to a new hamstring injury sustained in training earlier this week.
• The injury marks James' ninth hamstring issue in five years, with his fitness struggles limiting him to just 18 starts since December 2022.
• Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca confirmed James is the only player definitively unavailable for the weekend, emphasizing the need to avoid risks given the player's history.
• James, who returned to action in October following hamstring surgery last December, had recently completed consecutive full matches for the first time in over 18 months.
• Maresca expressed hope that the injury is minor, but with fixtures coming every three days, James' availability for upcoming games remains uncertain.