Chelsea will play away to Leicester City when the Premier League returns to TNT Sports without their captain and right-back Reece James.The 24-year-old James only returned from a thigh muscle problem in October, but has been ruled out after the injury. Blues boss Enzo Maresca admitted it was only a “small” problem which he hopes will not keep him out for long.

Chelsea captain Reece James has been ruled out of Saturday’s away game at Leicester City, which will be streamed live on TNT Sports and Discovery+, following a new injury.
The 24-year-old only returned in October after missing the start of the season and now faces another injury.

Ahead of the Premier League’s return after the international break, Blues boss Enzo Maresca has confirmed that he will be without his captain and first choice right-back.

“For sure we only have one injured player, that’s Reece,” Maresca said. “Unfortunately he felt a little something and we don’t want to take any risks with him at the weekend. He’s definitely the only one who won’t be available for this weekend.
“The others, some are better, some are questionable, plus we have to wait because today is the first training session we do with all the players on international duty, so we’ll see after today’s training session.”

He added: “Reece has a problem with his thigh muscle, so a muscle. We don’t want to take any risks this weekend, so hopefully it’s not something long-term.”
Also in question is the fitness of Cole Palmer and Levi Colwill, who stepped down from international duty after England’s victories over Greece and Ireland in the Nations League.

“To be honest, after the Arsenal game I went away for a week [on holiday], so I don’t know the conversations between the club and the international teams,” Maresca continued.

“As I said before, some are better, some we will test today. But overall they are definitely much better.”
Chelsea, who are third in the standings, drew with Manchester United and Arsenal before the international break and will be looking for a first home win when they host the King Power Stadium in November.

TNT Sports will show more than 500 matches from the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and UEFA Conference League in the 2024/25 season. The home of TNT Sports streaming in the UK is Discovery+, where fans can enjoy a subscription that includes TNT Sports, Eurosport and entertainment in one place.