Reece James has had a knee scan ahead of the club's pre-season tour to the USA, according to reports.
The 23-year-old endured a miserable campaign with Chelsea, restricted to just 24 appearances as the club floundered to a 12th-place finish.
James had several injury issues throughout 2022–23, including two knee injuries between October and January. Chelsea fans will hope that this latest scan is nothing more than a precaution.
James is still expected to be included in the Blues' tour of the USA, where they will face Wrexham, Brighton, Newcastle, Fulham, and Borussia Dortmund. The issue is believed to be a minor concern, as per The Athletic.
The report claims that the player felt some pain during a pre-season training session, prompting ascan to ascertain the extent of the damage. As well as knee problems, James also struggled with hamstring problems. One in particular knocked him out of the final seven games of the season. This was not long after he returned from a layoff due to a thigh problem.
His knee issues excluded him from Gareth Southgate's England squad for the World Cup in Qatar.
The right back had been on holiday in Dubai but was given a tailored fitness plan toreturn fighting fit.
The player's father revealed that James harbors ambitions for filling the current captaincy void at the club. This is due to Cesar Azpilicueta departing for Atletico Madrid. He also insisted that James' future remained in west London.
Discussing James's aims on The Beautiful Game Podcast, Nigel James said: 'Reece is a top player, so I'm sure most clubs would want to sign him, but right now I don't see anything changing.
In the meantime, if Chelsea wants to sell him, it's like anything else. If a club does not intend to work with you anymore and wants to get rid of you, you should leave.
'If they want you, he's been there since six years of age. His ambition is to wear the armband and captain the team, and it broke his heart that we had just finished the season.
'Coming off the pitch, losing games, it really hurt him. I'm sure it hurtsmany players. I can't speak for the other players; all I can speak for is knowing how painful it was for my son to feel at his club.
It is a big pre-season for Chelsea, which welcomed incoming manager Mauricio Pochettino to the club for the first time officially as manager. The Argentines are thought to have been hard at work prior to their tour of the United States.
There have been a number of outgoings from Stamford Bridge in the off-season, with Kai Havertz, N'Golo Kante, Mateo Kovacic, Edouard Mendy, Kalidou Koulibaly, and Azpilicueta among those to move on. Chelsea will open their Premier League campaign against Liverpool on Sunday, July 13.
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