Chelsea captain Reece James is close to making his comeback from injury ahead of Saturday’s match against Nottingham Forest. The 24-year-old has stayed out of action since undergoing hamstring surgery in December.
Chelsea Welcome Key Defender Back To Full Training
Back in full team training. 👊
Our captain @ReeceJames. 💙 pic.twitter.com/oxsOihJBZL
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) May 10, 2024
A Must-Win Match
Following impressive derby wins over Tottenham and West Ham, Chelsea are back in contention to secure a European spot for next season. However, sitting at the seventh spot and trailing Tottenham by six points, the Blues simply have no room to drop more points.
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Nottingham Forest have a battle of their own as they are pushing to keep their place above the relegation zone. Nuno Espírito Santo’s men returned to winning ways by beating Sheffield United 3-1 last weekend. However, they are set to host a revitalised opposition tomorrow.
Latest Update From Cobham
Reece James and Lesley Ugochukwu are back in team training ahead of the Nottingham Forest match, according to Chelsea’s latest injury update. However, Robert Sanchez hasn’t gotten any closer to making his comeback, as he remains in partial training.
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Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Pochettino said of the “decisive” defender’s return (via Chelsea’s official website): “We need to see today, but James could be available (vs Nottingham Forest).
“I know it is not easy always when you come from a long-term injury. The most important thing is that he can be available and can be part of the squad, and then if he can play five, 10, 15, 20 or 30 minutes it will be amazing.”
The Full Injury List
Chelsea’s injury list shrunk from 14 players to eight before their match against West Ham last weekend. The imminent returns of James and Ugochukwu will provide the Blues with another timely boost, but Pochettino still has a number of key players sidelined.
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Wesley Fofana, Romeo Lavia and Enzo Fernandez are not expected to feature again this term. However, Robert Sanchez, Ben Chilwell, and Carney Chukwuemeka are all pushing to come back before the end of the season.
