Chelsea dealt major Reece James blow ahead of Everton clash

Chelsea captain Reece James is set for another lengthy spell on the sidelines after undergoing surgery on a knee injury. The 26-year-old sat out last month’s 3-0 defeat Brentford after sustaining the issue, which was not thought to be serious at the time.

Following the international break, however, Blues boss Xabi Alonso revealed he had suffered a setback in his recovery and was left out of the matchday squad for last week’s 5-1 win over Bournemouth at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea dealt major Reece James blow ahead of Everton clash Alonso said James would be assessed on a week-by-week basis, but the club has now revealed that the player has undergone “successful minor knee surgery” to correct the problem.