Chelsea star Reece James was forced off through injury in the 2-0 defeat at Everton on Sunday and will now be out until March.
The 24-year-old, who has a history of hamstring problems, was sidelined for two months after featuring in their opening match against Liverpool.
After making a full recovery in October, the England international went on to feature in seven of the next eight league matches.
However, the right-back’s hamstring issues recurred during the Goodison Park encounter and he was substituted in the first half of the match.
Chelsea have now released a statement saying the scan results have confirmed a hamstring injury.
According to reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano, the Blues expect the right back to be out until February or March, depending on the recovery programme.
The latest news about James is a big blow for the Blues, who are already dealing with plenty of injury issues.
Their current list of absentees includes Wesley Fofana, Ben Chilwell, Trevoh Chalobah, Malo Gusto, Noni Madueke and Carney Chukwuemeka, who have all been trying to recover from knocks.
The 2-0 loss at Everton was Chelsea’s seventh defeat this term, with the result dropping them into the bottom half of the Premier League table.
Chelsea have spent over £1 billion on new signings in the last three transfer windows, and it is surprising to see them closer to the relegation zone than the top-four.
