The Chelsea captain is back on the treatment table, barely a month after an earlier problem forced him to withdraw from England duty.

Reece James felt something during Friday’s training at the club’s Cobham base and later tests confirmed the concern, Xabi Alonso told reporters after Saturday’s 5-1 win over Bournemouth at Stamford Bridge.

“Yeah, he felt something but after we did the tests later in the afternoon and he had some little issues on the knee so we need to check how long it will be,” Alonso said. “We will assess it week by week.”

The knee complaint is understood to be separate from the hamstring issue that pulled James out of the England squad before the international break.

Read also: Ferran Torres on facing his former team: “It’s going to be an exciting match

Everton too soon, Spurs the tentative target

Chelsea travel to Everton on Saturday 17 October, with kick-off at 12:30pm local time, and James is not expected to be fit in time.

The home match against Tottenham on 24 October is listed as his tentative return, though Alonso’s language left little room for firm commitments.

Chelsea sit sixth after six matches, level on points with Everton. Jordan Henderson and João Pedro both scored twice against Bournemouth and Morgan Rogers was also on the scoresheet.

A captaincy pulled apart by injuries

James was appointed Chelsea captain in the summer of 2023 and promptly lost most of his first season as skipper to recurring hamstring trouble that ended in surgery, with Goal.com’s profile recording only 11 appearances across all competitions in 2023/24.

Read also: Bayern Munich willing to hand Michael Olise massive payday – but star has one demand

The latest problem is already his second separate injury of the season, coming on top of the hamstring complaint that cost him his England call-up.

Alonso’s cautious tone

Alonso had flagged the problem before kick-off against Bournemouth.

“Unfortunately, Reece picked up a little injury yesterday, so we’ll see in the coming days,” he told broadcasters before the match.

The manager’s phrasing after the game, with its emphasis on week-by-week checks and no projected return, suggests the medical staff want time before putting any fixture in writing.

Read also: Bayern Munich prepare €80m January move for Barcelona star

The next assessment comes before Chelsea’s trip to Goodison Park on 17 October.

Read also: Endrick rumour: agents drop Aston Villa hint as Real Madrid star’s future stays uncertain