Reece James to Miss Champions League Clash Due to Injury
The Chelsea captain, Reece James, is set to be sidelined for the crucial Champions League round-of-16 second-leg match against Paris Saint-Germain, following a hamstring injury sustained during the recent Premier League match against Newcastle United. Manager Liam Rosenior confirmed this development during a press briefing on Monday, expressing concern that the injury could be serious for the right back.
James, who recently committed to a six-year contract extension with Chelsea, will not participate in the pivotal match at Stamford Bridge, where the team is aiming to overturn a 5-2 deficit from the first leg against the reigning European champions.
“Reece felt something in his hamstring towards the end of the Newcastle game,” Rosenior noted to reporters. “We don’t know the full extent of the injury yet, but he will be out for tomorrow’s game. It could be serious – with a hamstring injury, it’s never ideal. Hopefully, we can get him scanned and find out more.”
In addition to James, Rosenior addressed other injury concerns, specifically right back Malo Gusto and goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen, both of whom are doubts for the match. “Malo is ill today, so we’ll look at that tomorrow. With Filip, he’s felt something in his groin and we will get him scanned,” he explained.
There was a glimmer of good news for Chelsea as winger Pedro Neto was cleared to play after receiving a warning from UEFA regarding an incident involving a ball boy during the first leg. Rosenior commented, “He’s a fantastic player, he has apologised for the incident, and I think UEFA have made the right decision.”
Furthermore, Chelsea faced a financial blow earlier on Monday, being fined £10.75 million for historical breaches of Premier League regulations, along with a one-year first-team transfer ban that has been suspended for two years, and an immediate nine-month ban on academy transfers. However, Rosenior downplayed the effect of these sanctions on their preparations for the match, asserting, “It’s not a negative distraction. It’s a line drawn through that issue. (Now) we can plan to make this club as strong as possible.”
Despite the challenges presented by injuries and off-field issues, Rosenior emphasized the belief within the squad to mount a strong challenge against PSG. “I think this week was difficult for us. We know our strengths; we still believe because we showed in the Club World Cup when we won 3-0 against PSG in the final. The group believes, the manager believes, and the fans should believe as well,” he concluded.
