James must wait for Chelsea return

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Reece James appears to still be some way from a return to the Chelsea side.

Speaking at a press conference on Friday afternoon, Blues boss Tuchel said James was not yet ready to train fully and will not be part of the squad which will travel to Abu Dhabi for the Club World Cup after this weekend’s FA Cup tie against Plymouth.

The England international, 22, has not played this year because of a nasty hamstring he suffered during the 1-1 draw against Brighton on 29 December.




He recently resumed light training, raising hopes of a potential return to first-team action sooner rather than later.

But Tuchel said: “He is not in team training yet. He will need some time in team training to get the confidence back. He does not travel with us to the Club World Cup.”

Chelsea will be overwhelming favourites against League One outfit Plymouth but Tuchel insisted his side will take nothing for granted.

“We respect the game tomorrow. They have nothing to lose, so we have to be prepared. We will give them full respect,” he said.