Chelsea captain Reece James is set to miss three months of action with a knee injury, having had surgery on the problem sustained in training.
Chelsea confirmed on Friday morning that club captain Reece James has undergone successful knee surgery, describing the operation as ‘minor’.
But Simon Johnson of The Athletic reports that the injury sustained in training is set to rule James out for around three months of action, potentially sidelining him until mid-January.
The injury is James’ second of the season, having already suffered a hamstring injury that ruled him out for Chelsea’s match against Brentford, as well as the entire international break.
Arsenal don’t currently have a match scheduled against Chelsea until March, when the two teams meet in the Premier League at Stamford Bridge. But that could change, with Chelsea and Arsenal both still in the League Cup, and the FA Cup to kick off in early January.
Even if James’ absence doesn’t end up being relevant to Arsenal directly, Chelsea losing their captain could have an indirect impact on the title race.
It’s hard to say which teams are true title contenders at this early stage, particularly with the uncertainty around a potential major punishment for Premier League leaders Manchester City.
Arsenal have been the best of the rest, with five wins from six games, but Chelsea have also shown positive signs in the early stages of the season.
If the Gunners hadn’t turned around their 1-0 deficit in the meeting between the two in September, Xabi Alonso’s side would be ahead of Mikel Arteta’s.
Chelsea need to show a lot more consistency if they’re going to fight for the title, and they need serious defensive improvements. No one in the top half of the table has conceded as many goals as the Blues.
Losing the club’s captain and star right-back is surely not going to help on that front.
- Mikel Arteta’s Unstoppable Red MachineArsenal’s away record tells the story of a side transformed under Mikel Arteta, with Anfield providing the latest evidence of a harder, more ruthless team.
- Arsenal revive interest in Kroupi ahead of January windowArsenal are reportedly ready to revive their interest in Eli Junior Kroupi, but Bournemouth are reluctant to sell the forward during the January window.
- Former Arsenal youngster’s star wanes as goalscoring dries upFormer Arsenal striker Mika Biereth is struggling for minutes at Monaco after his explosive start in France, with his future now increasingly uncertain.
- Arsenal manager and players up for Premier League monthly awardsRecognition has followed Arsenal’s perfect October, with three key figures now in the running for Premier League awards.
- Arsenal v Hull VAR is unwelcome appointmentMichael Oliver will be on VAR for Arsenal against Hull City, an appointment likely to revive memories of some of his most controversial Gunners decisions.