Chelsea captain Reece James remains in a race against time to return from the hamstring injury he sustained in the Premier League defeat to Newcastle on 17 March, with the right back having missed every match since and his return date still uncertain.

The 26 year old England international was initially expected back after the March international break, with manager Liam Rosenior declining to put a firm timeline on the situation and warning publicly that he would not commit to a return date that the player might then fail to hit.

Rosenior said James was getting along really well in his recovery but was not yet ready to feature, adding that the coaching staff preferred to work day to day rather than make promises that could later be overtaken by events.

Since his absence began, Chelsea have failed to win a Premier League game, failed to score in the league, and failed to keep a clean sheet, underlining just how significant his loss has been to the team’s rhythm and confidence in the run in.

Reports from the Guardian and the Telegraph have pointed toward early May as the most likely window for a return to first team action, a timeline that would allow James to contribute to Chelsea’s final fixtures of the domestic season and demonstrate his fitness ahead of Thomas Tuchel’s summer World Cup squad selection.

Tuchel has made James his first choice at right back for England, and the captain is acutely aware that missing meaningful minutes before the tournament could jeopardise his position in the national team setup.

The hope from within the club is that James will be back in full training imminently, which would give him enough preparation time to feature at least as a substitute in the coming week or two.

Chelsea’s next fixture against Nottingham Forest represents a potential target for his return, with sources close to the club suggesting optimism has grown in recent days that he could make the squad in some capacity.

Malo Gusto has deputised at right back during James’ absence, though his form has not replicated the authority and influence the Chelsea captain brings to the position on either side of the ball.

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