James reece

James Reece: Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has confirmed that captain Reece James will miss the Premier League match against Leicester City after suffering a small hamstring complaint and said he will have to assess the fitness of some of the other players. The 24-year-old, sidelined for much of last season due to hamstring surgery aimed at resolving recurring injuries, made his return to action last month. Maresca dismissed fears of an extended absence.

"We have, for sure, just one injured player and that is Reece. Unfortunately, he felt something small and we do not want to take a risk with him at the weekend. He is the only one for sure who is not available for this weekend," Maresca said at the pre-match press conference on Thursday.

"The rest, some of them are better and some of them are a doubt, plus we need to wait because today is the first session we do with all of the players from international duty so we will see after today’s session," he said. "It is his hamstring with Reece, so a muscle problem. We don’t want to take any risk with this weekend so hopefully it is not something long," he added.