Chelsea go into this month’s international break on a high having beaten Premier League champions Liverpool in their last outing.
Estevao Willian’s late goal earned Enzo Maresca’s side a huge victory over the Reds at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, although the Italian was sent off for running down the touchline to join in his side’s celebrations.
Chelsea now sit seventh in the Premier League table after seven matches, and next they face struggling Nottingham Forest at The City Ground.
Going into the international break, it appears that the Blues have also been handed a boost in the wake of some concerning injury news.
According to Fabrizio Romano, Reece James’ withdrawal from the England squad on Monday is largely precautionary, rather than as a result of a serious injury.
James has withdrawn from the England squad for their games against Wales and Latvia (Photo: PA Images/Alamy)
The Chelsea captain withdrew from the squad on Monday, and was replaced by Manchester City’s Nico O’Reilly for the Three Lions’ matches against Wales and Latvia.
Initial news of James’ withdrawal will have concerned Chelsea supporters, with the ex-Wigan Athletic loanee having recently enjoyed a sustained period of fitness after a woeful injury record over recent seasons.
In total the England international has made 199 appearances for the Blues since graduating from the club’s Cobham academy, but he has also missed more than 100 games due to injury since the start of the 2019/20 season.
Romano claims, however, that James’ latest fitness concern isn’t regarded as serious, with the versatile defender not expected to miss many games for the West London giants.
James has featured in all nine of Chelsea’s matches across the Premier League and Champions League so far this term, captaining Maresca’s side on the majority of occasions.