- Reece James made just 10 Premier League appearances in the 2023-24 season
- The defender featured in pre-season before suffering a hamstring injury
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Chelsea have been handed a boost with Reece James making his long-awaited return to training on Monday.
The club shared some photos of their skipper getting down to work at their Cobham base, writing: ‘back in team training’.
James has been plagued with injuries over the past two campaigns, making just 16 Premier League appearances in the 2022-23 season.
He was then restricted to just 413 minutes last term having been named club captain ahead of the season.
Reports last month claimed James had suffered a setback in his recovery from a hamstring issue picked up in August, amid suggestions it had failed to heal as expected.
Reece James returned to Chelsea training on Monday after recovering from injury
James took part in a first team session for the first time since picking up the injury in August
Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca had admitted James’ comeback has been delayed, adding there was no timeframe for his return.
However, Blues fans will be delighted to see that he has now seemingly made a full recovery.
James picked up the current injury this summer after a prolonged spell on the sidelines recovering from hamstring surgery in December 2023.
He did make two cameo appearances back in May totaling 30 minutes, but his injury issues meant he was never in the race to make the Euro 2024 squad with England.
James had featured for Chelsea during their summer tour of the USA but is yet to feature for the London club in the Premier League so far this season.
The 24-year-old fullback has suffered a torrid time with hamstring injuries throughout his career, which has undoubtedly prevented him from achieving the full potential of his prodigious talent as yet.
James has started 118 games across all competitions in his Blues career, with 81 of those coming in the Premier League.
His problems in the professional ranks started after an ankle injury while playing for England at the Toulon Tournament in June 2019.
Since then, James has been sidelined with knee, thigh, and ankle problems, with his hamstrings a particular area of concern.
As well as missing Euro 2024, he was also absent from the 2022 World Cup squad after suffering a knee injury in the build-up.