Chelsea hold ’emergency internal talks’ for Reece James replacement after injury setback
Reece James will be out of commission for the entire month of January after suffering a knee injury against Bournemouth.
Reece James will be out of action for the next four weeks, therefore Chelsea is apparently holding “internal conversations” about a possible deal for Celtic star Josip Juranovic. The England international played in Chelsea’s encounter against Bournemouth on Tuesday, his first outing since the beginning of October.
James was unable to participate in the World Cup due to a knee injury he sustained in the victory over Wolves two months prior. The 23-year-old was ready to start against Bournemouth after regaining his full fitness.
Graham Potter later said that the impact he took early in the second half was related to the same knee condition James had only recently recovered from. James will now likely be sidelined for up to a month, according to a statement from Chelsea, which means he will miss two games against Manchester City as well as a trip to Liverpool later in January.
In place of James against Bournemouth, Cesar Azpilicueta was substituted, but Potter has also used Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Raheem Sterling, and Christian Pulisic as impromptu right wingbacks. Chelsea, meanwhile, might use the January transfer window to add further coverage in light of James’ most recent injury setback.
In advance of the January transfer window, Chelsea reportedly held “internal conversations” over whether to bring in an urgent replacement for the defender. Chelsea is said to be keeping a close eye on Juranovic, although no “formal approach” has been made.
The £20 million-rated Croatian international is attracting interest from a number of teams, including Chelsea. The 27-year-old is also being monitored by Barcelona, while West Ham is vying for his services.
James, who missed a significant portion of the previous season due to different injuries, is eager to put his problems behind him as the new year approaches. “2022 has been the roughest year to yet,” he remarked on Twitter. I am currently simply attempting to deal with the cards that have been dealt to me because it has obviously affected my mental state.
James has become one of the top right-backs in the world and has been essential to Chelsea’s success in recent years. And Potter acknowledges that the defender will be severely missed as Chelsea attempts to move up the standings in the upcoming weeks.
Naturally, he was really unhappy to miss the World Cup, according to Potter. “It dealt him a devastating blow. You could see his abilities and the value he adds to the group.
He is a professional athlete. Although you can tell from the outside, you won’t truly understand how good he is till you work with him. Any team in the world would miss him if he played on it.
