James was forced off after only 27 minutes against Brighton due to injury, but the Chelsea star is now facing a lengthy layoff as the Blues' title hopes take a major hit.
Chelsea's worst fears about the scope of Reece's involvement have come true. As the Blues prepare to face Premier League title rivals Liverpool, James' injury becomes a reality.
James had established himself as the first-choice right wing-back under Thomas Tuchel, having put in a string of impressive performances since the German took over for Frank Lampard.
The Englishman started again when Brighton came to Stamford Bridge on Thursday night, this time as a left wing-back against the Seagulls.
However, the 22-year-old only lasted 27 minutes before being forced off due to injury, with Marcos Alonso coming on in his place.
Tuchel was already dealing with an injury crisis in his defensive options, with Ben Chilwell and Thiago Silva already out.
Reece James was forced to leave the game against Brighton after only 27 minutes due to an injury.
Chilwell will miss the rest of the season after undergoing surgery for a cruciate ligament injury suffered in a Champions League match against Juventus.
Silva, on the other hand, has been dealing with a muscle problem that he picked up in the win over Aston Villa last Sunday.
Tuchel expressed concern about the extent of James and Andreas Christensen's problems when they were forced off against Brighton at Stamford Bridge.
"It was a perfect match until Reece James got injured, and then everything kind of fell apart," Blues manager said.
Callum Hudson-Odoi and Christian Pulisic have both been used in that position in the past, but Tuchel does not need a lack of options.
Chelsea's title hopes have taken a serious hit after draws with Wolves, Everton, and Brighton, as well as a defeat to West Ham.
When Liverpool visits Stamford Bridge on Sunday, they will be hoping to save their title bid.
But, with James now ruled out, their task has become much more difficult, especially with Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane lining up for the Reds.
Tuchel is enraged by the situation, as several members of his squad have also been diagnosed with Covid-19 in recent weeks.
"The challenge is that we don't know what we can demand from all the guys who have Covid,"
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