Reece James will miss up to a month with his latest knee injury, scans have revealed.
The Chelsea right-back returned to action against Bournemouth on Tuesday, having been out since October and missed England's World Cup campaign.
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But James lasted just over 50 minutes before going down clutching his knee again.
Coach Graham Potter was "concerned" due to the injury occurring in the same place as the previous issue, and Chelsea have confirmed James has suffered a setback.
"Defender Reece James underwent assessment earlier today after being substituted during the second half of last night's 2-0 Premier League victory over AFC Bournemouth due to a knee injury," a statement read on Wednesday.
Stay strong, Reece.
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) December 28, 2022
"Scan results have regrettably confirmed a setback for the 23-year-old, with Reece now set to be ruled out for up to a month."
James had earlier posted on Twitter describing his "toughest year to date", saying a painful end to 2022 had "naturally [affected] me mentally".
