“Tears in my eyes”, “We’ve missed him” - Chelsea fans thrilled as star player returns to bench for match against Nottingham Forest

Chelsea fans are thrilled to see their star player and captain Reece James on the bench against Nottingham Forest in the Premier League today (May 11). The right-back has been out of contention due to regular injuries. But he returned to training ahead of the weekend, and the Blues will be hoping the injury nightmares have subsided.

Reece James had to deal with five months on the sidelines after he went under the knife for a hamstring injury. He notably missed out on the World Cup in 2022 and has struggled with recurring injuries, while the Blues have been unable to impress without his services. Chelsea currently sit seventh in the Premier League with three games left in the season.

James has played a mere eight Premier League games this season, and with his appearance on the bench, he could feature against Forest. He will also hope to feature in the Blues' remaining games while hoping he gets picked for the EUROs by Gareth Southgate.

That's for the future though, as Chelsea fans are just pleased to have their star man back on the bench:

"Tears in my eyes. Reece James is truly back," a fan wrote.

"HE’S BACK! 💥" another was elated.

"REECE BACK IN THE MATCHDAY SQUAD!!!! 💙" a third exclaimed.

"James is back," another added.

"Reece James yes," a fifth wrote.

"Reece James is officially back." another stated.

"Those 5 minutes Reece James will give us will be the best 5 minutes of our lives," another fan noted.

Others added:

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Chelsea manager discusses Nottingham Forest clash

Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino believes his side has a positive mood heading into their game against Nottingham Forrest in the Premier League. The west London side have seen improved form in the tail end of the season. They look set to qualify for the Europa League next season if they continue their rich vein of form.

Ahead of the match against relegation-threatened Forest, the former Spurs boss said (via Football.London):

"It is important for us. It is an important objective to try to be in Europe and of course, we are focusing on the next game. That is tomorrow against Nottingham Forest."

Chelsea will hope they can secure a win against their opponents and set themselves up for a strong finish to the season. Pochettino was initially tipped to be fired in the summer. However, the improved form and cohesion in his side could see him hold on to his job for another few months at the very least.