Chelsea captain Reece James speaks out after suffering another injury setback

Reece James has taken to Instagram to deliver a message to fans after suffering another injury.

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca announced at his press conference on Thursday that James will not be available for Saturday's game against Leicester due to a hamstring problem.

James has played just 654 minutes of football since being named Chelsea captain 15 months ago and is now set for another spell on the sidelines.

But he issued a defiant message to his social media followers on Thursday evening, thanking fans for their support and vowing to overcome his injury.

The England full-back wrote on Instagram: 'This message is for the people who understand and respect what I'm going through… I really appreciate you, your support and kind words go further than you could ever imagine.

'And just to say something about me: I'm doing well, I'm doing better and I'm also getting worse. Accepted a new challenge that lay before us. Eventually I'll get over it. Against all odds.'

The severity of James' injury has yet to be determined, although Maresca appeared to indicate that his absence this weekend is a precautionary measure and that he could return to the field soon.

Maresca said, “He felt something. 'He should definitely be out this weekend, and then we'll see. At this point we don't know for how long. We'll see.

“I know it's not easy, but if every time he gets injured it's going to be difficult for him, it's even worse for me. He has to accept that. He should try to avoid it as much as possible.

'But sometimes things happen even though you want to avoid them. He won't be here this weekend. Unfortunately, he felt something small. It's a hamstring. It's a muscle problem. We don't want to take any risks this weekend.'

James has had a tough time with injuries in recent years, missing the last two major tournaments with England after failing to prove his fitness.

He was also sidelined at the start of this season and Maresca admitted last month that James can only play one game a week due to his ongoing physical problems.

James then started three consecutive league matches against Liverpool, Newcastle and Manchester United, but was left on the bench for Chelsea's final game before the international break as Maresca preferred full back duo Malo Gusto and Marc Cucurella in the 1-1 draw. draw against Arsenal. .

Gusto and Cucurella look to be back in action when Chelsea return to Maresca's former club Leicester in Saturday's lunchtime kick-off.