- The Chelsea captain has been hesitant to undergo the intense procedure
- But the player has missed large chunks due to persistent long-term injuries
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Reece James is set to fly to Finland to have surgery on his troublesome hamstring injury.
The Chelsea captain will now miss between three and four months of the season.
James suffered his latest injury blow in the 2-0 loss to Everton earlier this month and has had various assessments since.
There has been a reluctance from him to rush into the procedure given the seriousness of the surgery.
But Mail Sport understands it has now been decided that James will have an operation in hope of curing a problem that has dogged his career.
Reece James (centre) has chosen to undergo hamstring surgery in a bid to fix long-term injury
The Chelsea captain has seen his gametime significantly reduced due to injuries over the last 18 months
Depending on how his recovery goes, there is hope he can play by the end of the season meaning he could yet be part of England’s Euro 2024 campaign.
However, the likelihood of James being available for the March friendlies against Brazil and Belgium appear slim.
Those Wembley games are the final two England will have before Gareth Southgate selects his squad for the European Championships.
We reported on Wednesday how the decision over an operation had been delayed amid reservations over whether a procedure is necessary.
There was due to be a definitive verdict over whether James would go under the knife on Monday – but that was pushed back.
Ousmane Dembele is another high-profile player who has undergone surgery in Scandinavia
James underwent further assessment on Wednesday and it has now been concluded that he will go to Scandinavia.
France international Ousmane Dembele has had two hamstring procedures in Finland, where practitioners Sakari Orvara and Lassi Lempainen are regarded as two of the leading specialists in their field.
There is a feeling that, given his history of hamstring problems, that James would benefit from an operation to finally help him overcome the persistent injury.
The defender has a history of hamstring problems, with that in mind there is an understanding his recovery will not be straight forward.
