Chelsea defender set for long spells on the sidelines as manager delivers 'unfortunate' news ahead of West Ham

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca delivered some unsettling news about defender and club captain Reece James, admitting there is no clear timeline for his return to team training. James has yet to kick a ball this season after suffering an injury in the penultimate pre-season game.

The England defender is nearing an unwanted milestone of missing 500 days due to injury since making his debut for the club in 2019.

Last season, James missed a significant portion of the campaign due to a troublesome hamstring injury. Before that, he missed the World Cup with a similar issue, and now he's in danger of missing a large part of this season as well. Maresca acknowledged the unfortunate situation, stating:

"Unfortunately, we do not have an idea at the moment. In terms of injuries in the past, we always hope that we can find the right solution. In this case, it has been very unlucky.

“We planned on changing him after 65 minutes, and he got the injury on 62 or 63. Hopefully, we can have him back as soon as possible and fit."

With Reece James sidelined, Maresca is likely to deploy Axel Disasi at right-back, especially with James’ deputy, Malo Gusto, also out injured and unavailable for the game at the London Stadium.

When asked about Gusto's fitness, the Chelsea boss replied: "No, he will not be fit for the game."

Chelsea have won their last two away games and head into the match against West Ham as strong favourites, with the Hammers yet to win a home game this season. However, the game could be tricky for the Blues, as they lost 3-1 at the same venue last season.