Chelsea head coach Mauricio Pochettino has revealed that Reece James "felt something in his hamstring" during Sunday's Premier League clash with Everton.
The England international was forced off in just the 27th minute of the contest at Goodison Park, with Levi Colwill his replacement in what proved to be a 2-0 loss for the capital side.
James has not managed to complete a full match for Chelsea this season, and he was absent between the middle of August and the start of October due to a hamstring issue.
Pochettino has said that the Blues captain has picked up another hamstring problem, and he is now set to undergo examinations to determine the extent of the damage.
"He felt something in his hamstring. It's not so nice for him to suffer another injury. He is an important player," the Chelsea boss told BBC Sport after the loss at Goodison Park.
© Reuters
The Blues have now lost successive matches in the league, having also been beaten 2-1 by Manchester United on Wednesday night.
"Football is about scoring goals and we were not clinical in front of goal. I'm really, really disappointed. We didn't get the point we deserved. I think we were better but we didn't get what we wanted," Pochettino added.
"This was a game to play and to win. It's a problem we need to check. We need to analyse the reality. We need to talk and to try to improve in the next transfer market."
A difficult campaign for Chelsea has seen them win five, drawn four and lost seven of their 16 league games this season to collect 19 points, which has left them down in 12th spot in the table.
© Reuters
Pochettino's side are already 14 points off fourth-placed Manchester City, who managed to come from behind to beat Luton Town 2-1 on Sunday afternoon.
Chelsea will be aiming to bounce back from their latest defeat when they welcome Sheffield United to Stamford Bridge next weekend.
The Blues will then welcome Newcastle United in the quarter-finals of the EFL Cup, before travelling to Wolverhampton Wanderers on December 24.
Chelsea's last Premier League title success came in 2016-17, while they finished third, fourth, fourth and third between 2019 and 2022, but they ended last term down in 12th position.
The capital outfit are believed to be planning to be active during the January transfer window, with a new forward high on their list of priorities, but a move for leading target Victor Osimhen at the start of 2024 will be difficult due to Napoli's desire not to sell in the middle of the campaign.
Matt Law
