Xabi Alonso confirms Reece James picked up fresh injury in training

Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso has confirmed that captain Reece James picked up a fresh injury during first-team training on Friday. James had been declared fully fit after the international break and was expected to feature against Bournemouth, but he was not included in the matchday squad.

Alonso said: "Unfortunately, Reece picked up a little injury yesterday, so we’ll see [in the coming days]." The club will assess James over the next few days to determine his availability for the upcoming trip to Everton on Saturday afternoon.

Chelsea returned to winning ways with a 5-1 victory over Bournemouth, a match in which Joao Pedro and Cole Palmer were prominent. Joao Pedro had been absent for the 3-0 defeat to Brentford before the international break with a knee injury and returned against Bournemouth. The Blues have no midweek fixtures and no European football this week.