Reece James leaves Stamford Bridge on crutches

While Chelsea laboured to a draw against Brighton in west London, altogether more worrying news was emerging about the severity of an injury to Reece James.

Already without Ben Chilwell for the rest of the season as a consequence of an ACL tear, James was forced off with a hamstring injury midway through the first half of the clash with the Seagulls, and the initial prognosis did not look good.

Then, he was pictured leaving the stadium on crutches, and then an update came this morning.

Reece James layoff time revealed

And while some Chelsea fans were optimistic, it seems as though he could be sidelined for months rather than weeks.

Should it prove to be a full hamstring tear, as is reported by The Athletic it could see him unavailable until well into the New Year, with healthline.com reporting:

Typically, partial tears heal in 4 to 8 weeks, while complete tears take about 3 months. You should start to feel better with regular physical therapy and lots of rest.

This would leave Chelsea with just Marcos Alonso as a recognised fullback, meaning that they will almost certainly have to dip into the transfer market when it opens on New Years day, with a Champions League run and the Club World Cup to contend with.

Will they be able to bring in the necessary reinforcements?

Read more:

Revealed: The three Premier League clubs interested in Chelsea’s Ross Barkley

Arsenal set to net impressive 13 million pounds for midfield outcast