"He felt something" - Mauricio Pochettino provides Reece James injury update after Chelsea's loss to Everton

Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino has provided an update on the injury status of English defender Reece James, who was substituted in the first half against Everton on Sunday (September 10).

James was taken off after just 27 minutes at Goodison Park as Levi Colwill took his place in the XI. The 24-year-old handed his armband to Conor Gallagher and looked devastated while being substituted.

Earlier this season, the Englishman suffered a hamstring injury in the first match against Liverpool in August. He later made his return against Arsenal in October, where he played only six minutes.

Unfortunately, it seems like the Chelsea captain is set to miss a few more games for the Blues. Addressing Reece James' injury, the Chelsea boss said after the match (via Metro):

"He felt something in his hamstring. It's not so nice for him to suffer another injury. He is an important player."

Mauricio Pochettino added in the post-match press conference:

"The team was good even when Reece was out but [we are] disappointed in the end, when you believe you can build something with a player that should be really important for us."

Playing against Sean Dyche's Everton at Goodison Park, the Blues suffered a disappointing 2-0 defeat as Abdoulaye Doucoure (54') and Lewis Dobbin (90+2') scored for the Toffees. Chelsea are currently 12th in the Premier League, with 19 points in 12 games.

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Chelsea forward can leave Stamford Bridge in January: Report

According to a report by football journalist Ben Jacobs, Chelsea are reportedly considering loaning out English winger Noni Madueke. As stated by GiveMeSport, the young attacker is highly unlikely to feature ahead of Raheem Sterling and Cole Palmer in the playing XI.

The Englishman has managed to earn one start and six appearances in total for the Stamford Bridge outfit this season. The Blues might look forward to offloading Madueke if they get favorable offers.

Jacobs said (via GiveMeSport):

“If the right kind of offer comes in to get him some minutes and then return to Chelsea, if it suits all parties and it’s feasible, it could be something that is considered. But I don’t think that this is a case of an unhappy player, pushing for a permanent exit, as some reports suggest.”

Apart from the presence of Raheem Sterling and Cole Palmer, Madueke's chances of becoming a starter in Chelsea's main squad will be hindered by the return of Christopher Nkunku. The former RB Leipzig star returned to first-team training earlier this week after months of rehabilitation. As a result, he can potentially make his comeback for Mauricio Pochettino's side soon.