Chelsea star Reece James set to miss Aston Villa clash following injury against AC Milan - Reports

Chelsea right-back Reece James is reportedly set to miss his club's upcoming Premier League trip to Aston Villa on Sunday (October 16) due to a recent knee injury sustained at AC Milan.

James, 22, started his team's 2-0 win over the Rossoneri at the San Siro in their fourth UEFA Champions League Group E fixture on Tuesday (October 11). He relished a decent outing against the Serie A champions before being substituted off with a knee injury in the 62nd minute.

Speaking at a post-match press conference, Blues boss Graham Potter shed light on James' injury. He told reporters (via Football London):

"Reece, we're hoping he'll be okay. [We'll need] 24-48 hours because it's too early to tell you anything more than that."

According to Evening Standard, Chelsea are set to be without James during their upcoming trip to Villa Park. After initial medical checks showed that his knee injury is not serious, the England international is expected to return in time to face either Brentford on Wednesday (October 19) or Manchester United on Saturday (October 22).

James is also set to be fit for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar later this year. Meanwhile, England manager Gareth Southgate has two other right-back headaches with Kyle Walker and Trent Alexander-Arnold currently sidelined with groin and ankle injuries respectively.

James has been a crucial first-team starter for the Blues over the past three terms. He is likely to be replaced by club captain Cesar Azpilicueta in the clash against the Steven Gerrard-coached side.

So far, James has netted two goals and contributed as many assists in 11 games across all competitions for the west London outfit this campaign.

Chelsea are currently fourth in the 2022-23 Premier League standings with 16 points from eight games. The club will hope to make it three back-to-back Premier League wins under Potter this weekend.

Chelsea eye move for Benjamin Pavard

According to Express, Chelsea have identified Bayern Munich defender Benjamin Pavard as a replacement for veteran centre-back Thiago Silva.

Pavard, 26, has a contract until June 2024 at the Allianz Arena. He has registered seven goals and 11 assists in 131 matches for the Bavarians.

The Blues are currently rebuilding their squad under new ownership, dishing out close to £300 million during the summer transfer window. The club added Kalidou Koulibaly and Wesley Fofana to their ranks after parting ways with Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen this summer.