Year-End Column: Reece James' Road to Recovery
Given the impact of injuries on the 26-year-old's career to date, his recovery in 2025 is undoubtedly a remarkable achievement—one that both the player and the club deserve credit for.
"He has been able to stay injury-free for a period of time, which is definitely a positive sign for his future development," said physiotherapist Luke Anthony. Although Anthony has not worked directly with James, he provided his insights to reporters based on his experience at Watford, Reading, and Norwich City.
“I think the biggest change for him is his ability to play consecutive games and go through an adaptation period to enhance his physical resilience. Perhaps he has simply been able to maintain regular training to improve his fitness, or maybe he has changed his training methods.”
In last Saturday's match against Aston Villa, he made his 50th club appearance of 2025—the most single-year appearances he has made since 2021.
Hamstring and knee injuries have long plagued James, with him averaging 22.3 appearances across all competitions per season over the past three full campaigns. So far this season, he has already featured 22 times, with five months still remaining until the end of the season.
The club's medical team, led by Bryce Cavanagh, has managed James' recovery cautiously. Chelsea's rehabilitation physiotherapist Ben McDonald has been working closely with James to help him regain his fitness, and a strong relationship has been built between the two.
James has also validated Chelsea's belief in the effectiveness of their load management strategy. As previously reported by the media, Chelsea has adopted a strategy led by the medical and fitness teams this season to carefully control players' playing time.
Previously, his playing time experienced sharp declines and rapid increases due to intensive training shortly after returning from injuries. Since his comeback in January, his playing time has been managed more cautiously.
Nowadays, it has become increasingly common to see Chelsea captain James operating in the defensive midfielder position. Data suggests that in addition to his excellent performances, this positional adjustment may also help reduce the muscular strain on his body.
“[Wide players] usually need to cover more distance with high-speed runs and sprints, and also face more one-on-one duels in both attack and defense. Central players typically have shorter sprint and high-speed running distances.”
“As a midfielder, you run longer distances, but you may have fewer sprints in attack and defense, which is less likely to cause soft tissue injuries.”
Of course, the increase in playing time has naturally helped James showcase his leadership abilities, and he has also coped well with Maresca's challenges. As he has gradually adapted to the captaincy role, he has become more adept at expressing his ideas and has performed more confidently in media interviews, which has attracted widespread attention within Chelsea Football Club.
It is said that he has earned the respect of everyone at the club.
Chelsea has continued to support their captain during his injury struggles. In September 2022, he signed a contract extension with the club until 2028. Chelsea's usual practice is not to hold contract renewal negotiations during the season, hoping that players can focus on the games, but instead prefers to do so in the summer.
Even if James represents England at the 2026 World Cup as expected, it does not mean that a new contract cannot be reached this summer; for example, Cole Palmer signed a new deal in August 2024 after the 2024 European Championship.
At a time when Chelsea is in urgent need of strong leadership, James' continued health and progress are undoubtedly one of the most encouraging pieces of good news in 2025.
