Chelsea captain Reece James undergoes surgery for knee injury

Chelsea captain Reece James has undergone knee surgery after suffering an injury in training.

The 26-year-old had been omitted from the matchday squad to face Bournemouth after feeling discomfort in his knee in training at Cobham last Friday.

On Saturday, after his side’s 5-1 win, head coach Xabi Alonso said James would be monitored “week by week”.

But Chelsea have now announced that James has “undergone successful minor knee surgery” after “assessments confirmed surgery would be the required course of action.

“Reece has already begun his road to recovery and will be supported by the club’s medical department at Cobham during this rehabilitation phase,” the club added.

The England full-back missed the 3-0 defeat to Brentford before the international break with a hamstring problem, and also sat out his country’s four Nations League fixtures.

It was the 11th distinct hamstring injury he has had to either leg since December 2020.

James has started three of Chelsea’s six league games this term, and one League Cup match, having featured five times for England during the World Cup over the summer.

The Chelsea captain played more regularly last season, making 29 Premier League appearances last term between knocks and a hamstring injury — his highest tally in the competition since 2020-21.

James signed a new six-year deal to extend his stay at Stamford Bridge to 2032 in March.