Reece James made his long awaited return to action for Chelsea in their defeat to Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday as he played his first Premier League minutes since May.
James, who was suspended for the first three league games of the season picked up what was described as a minor hamstring issue after Chelsea returned from their pre-season tour of America.
The 24-year-old only returned to first team training last week, but Enzo Maresca seemingly had no doubts about putting him straight into the starting line-up for Chelsea’s biggest game of the season.
James on what he’s missed most whilst being injured
It was certainly a surprise to see James named in the team given his lack of action this season, but the Blues have been very careful with the right back and have taken no risks on his road to recovery in order to minimise any injury set backs.
The England international looked assured on his return to competitive action and whilst it will take him time to get fully match fit and back up to speed it was a real positive to see him come through 53 minutes unscathed.
The task facing Chelsea now is keeping James fit for a prolonged period of time and Maresca admitted afterwards he was worried about leaving James and Romeo Lavia on the pitch for too long.
James was delighted to be back out on the pitch and start his first Chelsea game since December 2023 and revealed what he had missed most.
“It was great to be involved again, I missed playing in big games and playing against big players so it was a big step,” he told Chelsea’s website.
“It’s been a long time since I started a game, and starting here [Anfield] was always going to be tough, but I’m feeling good.
“The road to recovery has been tough, it definitely hasn’t been easy. I hope to stay strong, keep going, and help the team achieve what we want to achieve.”
Next up for Chelsea is a trip to Greece on Thursday to face Panathinaikos in the Conference League before the Blues host Newcastle at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, with James more likely to feature in the latter.
