Chelsea captain Reece James has suffered another setback after injuring a hamstring in training, Blues manager Enzo Maresca has revealed.

The 24-year-old missed much of last season after undergoing hamstring surgery, which was designed to help him overcome a series of injuries, but returned to action last month.

Maresca played down concerns about a long-term lay-off but confirmed James will miss Saturday’s match at Leicester.

He said: “We have just one injured player and that’s Reece [James] who unfortunately felt something small in training two days ago and we don’t want to take a risk for the weekend.

“It’s a hamstring, muscular problem. We will see, we don’t know for how long, for sure [we want him fit for longer]. At the moment it is not happening but we hope it will happen soon.

“He is out this weekend but hopefully he can be back soon. It’s probably difficult that he can be available for the Conference League [next Thursday], but hopefully soon.”

The likes of Cole Palmer, Levi Colwill, Wesley Fofana, Malo Gusto and Romeo Lavia are all available despite pulling out of international duty last week.

But there is caution around Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez with Maresca saying his starting team will “not be at 100%”, with those travelling from international duty in South America completing just one training session on Friday before the match.

James’ injury woes continue
James has suffered his eighth hamstring injury in four years, according to Transfermarkt data.

He has suffered a further half dozen injuries to his knee, thigh and ankle – as well as an absence with illness.

Upon his return against Liverpool in October, it had been 562 days since James last managed to play a full 90 minutes in the Premier League, with the subsequent match a week later at home to Newcastle his first full match completed in well over a year.

Since breaking into Chelsea’s senior squad in the 2019-20 season, James’s best run of matches is six achieved in May 2021.

His most league starts in a single season is 25 matches while last season he played just 482 minutes in total because of injury and two red cards.

Last December he underwent surgery in Finland, which had been designed to help him overcome the issues permanently. But he has suffered his second setback since the season started, after initially injuring himself in Chelsea’s penultimate pre-season match against Real Madrid in the United States.

James has also not been involved with England since March 2023.

While in the US he was asked about his goals for the coming season. He replied: “I have one goal. My goal is to stay on the pitch.”

Simone Inzaghi’s Inter Milan are keen on acquiring the services of Arsenal utility man Oleksandr Zinchenko.

According to a report from Fichajes, Oleksandr Zinchenko could part ways with Arsenal next summer after going down the pecking order under Mikel Arteta. The lack of minutes along with his contract situation has resulted in a significant amount of interest from Inter Milan.

After making a name for himself while playing for Manchester City, Zinchenko made the move to Arsenal in the summer of 2022. Arteta played a massive role in his move to the North London club and he was one of the first names on their first team in the initial years.

But, a lot has changed of late. While the Ukrainian international can feature in the centre of the park as well as the midfield, he no longer seems to be an important part of the Spanish manager’s plans. The Gunners were reportedly ready to sell him during the summer.

While he is still a part of their setup, his game time has taken a significant hit. In the ongoing campaign, he has been involved in just five matches and has racked up less than 200 minutes of first-team action.

The 27-year-old full-back is frustrated by the lack of minutes and he is considering his future at the club. With his contract running out in the summer of 2026, Inter Milan are looking to make the most out of the situation and strike a deal for a cut-price fee.

Inter could raid Arsenal for Zinchenko
The Italian giants want to add more quality to their squad. They want to bring in an experienced campaigner who can contribute in multiple positions and Zinchenko seems to be an ideal fit for their project.

He will only have a year left on his deal next summer and since he has gone down the pecking order under Arteta, Inter have a realistic chance of signing him.

While the Ukrainian international would love to continue in the Premier League, he could consider being an important part of an exciting project at Inter. A move away will give him an opportunity to get things back on track in his career.

Inter are plotting to make a move next summer and it will be interesting to see whether the negotiations move forward over the next months.

Hard Tackle

Italian Serie A side, Napoli, have debunked rumours about agreeing a deal with Manchester United for a player plus cash offer for Super Eagles striker, Victor Osimhen, Soccernet.ng reports.

The 25-year-old joined Galatasaray on loan from Napoli in September, and has been in fine form for Okan Buruk’s side, scoring eight goals and providing four assists in nine games in all competitions.

As per Cult of Calcio, there’s some element of truth to the rumours about Manchester United offering a trade between Victor Osimhen and Joshua Zirkzee, but Napoli aren’t open to the idea.

The Italian side want cash payment upfront for the Nigerian striker from any team that are interested in his services, and will hold out for that, even if they have to wait until next summer.Nigerian football souvenirs

Despite Osimhen and Galatasaray ruling out the possibility of a January departure, Napoli made it clear that it’ll depend on the offers they receive. The suitors will have to reach an agreement with the Turkish outfit too. Another transfer will be possible if a team activates the striker’s reduced release clause of €75m.

Manchester United’s swap deal will see Napoli get €30m plus Zirkzee which would see them fall short of about €45m than their initial target. Additionally, Antonio Conte’s side are not looking for another striker at the moment and are very content with the services of Romelu Lukaku.

Rather than tweaking the frontline, Antonio Conte has asked for some reinforcements in the defence, and Napoli would need to make sales for that, ruling out Manchester United’s swap deal option.

Chelsea are still interested in Osimhen, but any talks will have to be continued after the season ends in May.