Chelsea captain Reece James has given the perfect wordless response to his return to first-team training as he takes a step closer to competitive action.
The full-back hasn’t played competitively for Chelsea since May owing to injury. He looked to be on the road to recovery during pre-season, but a hamstring injury has forced him to miss the start of this campaign.
In a huge boost to the Blues, and their manager Enzo Maresca, the club have now confirmed that James is back in first-team training ahead of the Premier League showdown against Liverpool. However, it remains unlikely that the defender will be available for that game, with Chelsea expected to not rush his return.
James has had a few years to forget due to injuries. In the last 18 months, he has played just under 800 minutes of football, but he will be hoping that he can now put his injuries behind him, amid this latest comeback.
In announcing the news, Chelsea took to Instagram to post four pictures of the full-back taking part in training, both outside on the grass and in the gym. Alongside those images, they added a caption reading: “Back in team training.”
Among the replies of delighted Chelsea fans was James himself. He summed up his feelings with just one emoji, posting a clock, suggesting that there’s not too much longer to wait until he’s back on the pitch.
