Marc Cucurella revealed that the entire Chelsea squad was "very sad" to learn that their captain Reece James had been struck down by another muscle injury.
Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca confirmed ahead of his side's trip to Leicester City on Saturday that James would miss out with a hamstring problem. The Italian coach was optimistic that "it's not something long", but he could take no risks with a player plagued by so many fitness issues.
James missed five months of last season while recovering from surgery on his hamstring. The club captain returned for Chelsea's summer tour of the United States only to suffer another muscular complaint in August. James was back in the starting lineup by mid-October on the condition that he would only play one game per week. Those precautions didn't work.
After helping Chelsea earn a 2-1 victory over Leicester, Cucurella addressed the absence of his skipper. "We are very sad," the Spanish left-back told LondonWorld.
"I think for me personally, he's one of the best players we have in the squad. Hopefully, he comes back soon. For sure, it's tough because he's fit again and then has a small injury, but we know him and we know he's very important for us. He's the captain, so all of us want him back as soon as possible."
James vowed to "come out on top" after the news of his latest setback emerged. The 24-year-old is expected to undergo a scan this week once the swelling in his hamstring has subsided so that Chelsea can establish a timeline for his latest recovery.
The Blues have a busy fixture list on the horizon. After a return to the Conference League on Thursday night, Chelsea face three top-flight matches in seven days, hosting Aston Villa before travelling to Southampton and then London rivals Tottenham Hotspur.
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