Enzo Maresca confirms Reece James return date in huge Chelsea injury boost

Reece James is set to return to partial team training today (Friday), Enzo Maresca has confirmed.

The Chelsea captain has been sidelined since suffering another hamstring injury in training last month. James, who had surgery on his hamstring 12 months ago, is now preparing once again to return to action as his recent nightmare on the injury front continues.

It was Everton away last season where James lasted just 27 minutes before limping off with a hamstring injury. More than 12 months on, Maresca has given an update on his captain's fitness.

"Reece finally tomorrow will start with us for part of the session, so slowly, slowly, he will be back." the Chelsea head coach replied when asked by football.london about James' fitness. "That doesn’t mean he is going to be with us on Sunday or next Sunday.

"Just tomorrow. The plan for him tomorrow is to be with the team for part of the session and from there to try to build the right condition for him and then finally he can be back with us."

James will not be available this weekend as Chelsea go to Merseyside to take on Everton for the final time at Goodison Park in the Premier League. The Blues have the opportunity to move to the summit of the division with Liverpool facing Tottenham later on in the afternoon.

Maresca is still very reluctant to engage in any conversation of Chelsea being involved in a Premier League title race despite the Blues' really strong position. When asked if there is now pressure on his young squad of players, the head coach was having none of it.

"No, I don't think so, I don't think so," the Italian said. "First of all, because we try to focus on the game, not on the consequence of the game that can be the leader for a few hours.

"This is the first reason. And then since we started, I'm trying to convince the players just to be focused on the game plan, how we can beat them, how we can do the right things, no more than that. So I don't think that they can have some pressure about the consequences of the win. Because first of all, you have to win."