Reece James suffers injury scare ahead of Chelsea pre-season tour

Reece James has suffered an injury scare ahead of Chelsea’s upcoming pre-season tour.

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Mauricio Pochettino’s slimmed down squad is set to fly to America ahead of five games stateside, but the presence of one of their key players remains in doubt.

James has already undergone a scan on his knee and although, according to the Evening Standard, the club are expecting positive news, they will take no risks with a player who has endured a torrid 12 months with a series of injury problems.

The 23-year-old was restricted to just 24 appearances in all competitions last season and missed out on being part of Gareth Southgate’s World Cup squad in agonising circumstances.

Chelsea and Pochettino can ill-afford for James to miss such a significant chunk of the coming campaign given the upheaval the club has already undergone this summer.

Only three players remain from the starting XI that won the Champions League in Porto two years ago and Pochettino had planned to hand James a senior role in his reformed leadership group following the departure of club legend Cesar Azpilicueta.

The new Chelsea boss, meanwhile, is hoping for swift resolutions to the futures of four more players he has deemed surplus to requirements.

Hakim Ziyech, Romelu Lukaku and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang are not expected to be included in Chelsea’s traveling party, while Callum Hudson-Odoi will be omitted given his desire to leave.

That quartet have all been the subject of interest from Saudi Pro League clubs but Lukaku, in particular, has little desire to leave Europe and is hopeful Inter can reach an agreement with Chelsea.

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