BREAKING: Chelsea midfielder ruled out for three months after surgery, January transfer now priority

Reece James has had surgery on a knee problem and will be out until January – leaving Chelsea in a tricky position.

Things have been very positive at Chelsea following a big win to follow the international break, but this afternoon we’ve been hit by some bad news.

The Athletic are among the sources reporting that Reece James has had “minor knee surgery” after picking up an injury in training last Friday. The club captain will be out for “around three months,” meaning a return in mid-January.

James has had a career which came close to being ruined by injury, but the last 18 months he’s been without any major issues. He made 29 Premier League appearances last season. While this latest injury is a blow, it’s not a problem on the scale of his previous

Chelsea down to bare-bones in midfield again

Chelsea’s usage of James changed after his last long term injury. They used him more often as a central midfield or centre back, and less as a wing back. That seemed to help him stay fit. The problem now is that they were counting on him in the middle, and with him out they now are looking very thin in there.

Moises Caicedo and Jordan Henderson looked good at the weekend, and Romeo Lavia is ready to back them up, with Valentin Barco also available. There is no doubt that an elite option is going to come in though, either this January or next summer.

In other news…

Sky Sports are reporting that a move for Alex Scott in January is actually possible from Bournemouth’s end. With this James news, it looks more likely than ever.

Estevao has not played much this season – but Chelsea could give him a new contract to keep him happy.