Xabi Alonso confirms Reece James injury blow

Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso has confirmed a fresh injury for Reece James in first-team training.

The England international was deemed fully fit after the international break, and he was widely expected to feature against Bournemouth.

However, he was not in the matchday squad. Alonso has now confirmed that the club captain picked up a fresh injury in Friday's training.

He said: "Unfortunately, Reece picked up a little injury yesterday, so we’ll see [in the coming days]."

Chelsea returned to winning ways against Bournemouth with a convincing 5-1 triumph. Joao Pedro and Cole Palmer stood out with their displays.

Pedro was absent for the 3-0 loss to Brentford before the international break due to a knee injury, and his return was a huge boost against the Cherries.

The Blues now have the midweek off, with no European football. Their next game will be against Everton away from home on Saturday afternoon.

James will be assessed by the medical staff in the next few days and it remains to be seen whether he will be deemed fit for the match.