Reece James closes in on return from hamstring injury for Chelsea but heads towards an FA ban with captain set to accept charges… as Blues hope he can re-join team training within the next 10 days
- Reece James is closing in on a return to full training for Chelsea after injury
- The captain is also heading towards an FA ban and could delay a return to action
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Reece James is closing in on a return to full training but the Chelsea captain’s playing comeback is heading towards an FA ban.
The England international is currently out with a long-term hamstring injury but has still found himself in hot water following Saturday’s loss to Aston Villa after he was accused of confronting referee Jarred Gillett in the Stamford Bridge tunnel after the game.
Chelsea’s legal department are finalising their response to the FA ahead of Friday’s deadline, but Mail Sport understands that James is expected to accept the charge.
Because the case is deemed as ‘non-standard’ by the governing body, there was no pre-determined sanction offered with the charge.
Instead a regulatory commission hearing will convene, regardless of how James responds, to determine the full-back’s punishment – with suspension among the possible sanctions.
Reece James is closing in on a return to full training but the Chelsea captain’s playing comeback is heading towards an FA ban
The England international found himself in hot water following Saturday’s loss to Aston Villa after he was accused of confronting referee Jarred Gillett
James has been out since August but there is growing hope he can rejoin full training within the next 10 days
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It is highly likely that the commission will not reconvene before Monday’s clash against Fulham.
Chelsea’s final game ahead of the international break is against Burnley on October 7 but it remains to be seen if the hearing can be organised before then.
It would suit Chelsea for the commission to convene as soon as possible as it raises the prospect of James serving a ban while he is unavailable through injury.
James has been out since August but there is growing hope he can rejoin full training within the next 10 days.
Despite the prospect of James facing a ban, the news arrives as a key boost to boss Mauricio Pochettino.
The Blues captain suffered a hamstring injury in August and hasn’t played since as he completes his personal rehabilitation programme.
He has been working alone at the club’s Cobham HQ – but he is now close to returning to training with his team-mates.
There is hope he could be ready to accelerate his training involvement next week, but the clash against Burnley is likely to come too soon.
There is hope, however, that James will be available for immediately after the international break for the game against Arsenal on October 21.
The news will offer encouragement to Pochettino, who is faces mounting injury problems at full-back.
In addition to James, fellow right-back Malo Gusto is injured – while left-back Ben Chilwell is waiting for the results of a scan on his hamstring injury.
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