In his press conference yesterday, Frank Lampard ruled Reece James out for the rest of the season with a hamstring injury which he picked up in the second leg against Real Madrid.
Under normal circumstances we could probably see him back in a few weeks, but given there are just 7 games left to play – and not much to play for – the wise decision to shut him down for the season has been taken.
In quotes on the official Chelsea website after the game, Lampard discussed the full back’s ongoing fitness problems, which have derailed two seasons in a row and look increasingly like damaging his career long term:
“It’s important that players are prepared to go that extra mile,’ said Lampard of James willingness to play on even after hurting himself in the first half against Madrid.
“With Reece, we have to find a way that we can get all that capacity he’s got and get more constant with his availability at times, because he’s such a top player.
“Sometimes there’s an element of misfortune, or having to play every three days with a lot of exertion on your bodies for the young lads sometimes can be a bit taxing, but I don’t think it’s a problem.”
That’s a huge relief for fans who have convinced themselves that James needs some kind of surgery this summer. He now can take a break of a good few months until preseason, and we can hope next season he’s used more sparingly.
