Chelsea captain Reece James has vowed to overcome his latest injury.
The defender only returned from a hamstring injury in October but will miss Saturday’s Premier League trip to Leicester due to a new problem.
While the Blues hope the latest problem is not particularly serious, head coach Enzo Maresca is unsure when the 24-year-old will be able to return.
Such has been the extent of his problems over the past two seasons that it seems unlikely that James will return to action.
James underwent hamstring surgery in December and subsequently suffered a setback during pre-season, ruling him out of the first seven Premier League games of this campaign.
He returned for the defeat at Liverpool in October and started the games against Newcastle and Manchester United, before coming off the bench in the 1-1 draw against Arsenal before the international break.
Speaking on Thursday, Maresca said: “He will definitely be out this weekend and then we will see. Hopefully [he can be] for the next one.
“Now we start playing every three days, so it’s difficult for him to be available for the Conference League. I hope it can be available soon.
On Thursday, on Instagram, James posted a story in which he vowed to overcome the latest fitness “challenge” thrown at him.
James is hoping to return for the Conference League clash against German side Heidenheim on Thursday as the fixtures begin to pile up quickly.