Reece James and Nicolas Jackson react as Chelsea star shares new surgery update

03/25/2025 11:23 AM

Reece James has endured a frustrating season at Chelsea and was one of the first players to offer support to a teammate facing the same issues at Stamford Bridge.

The 25-year-old has just eight Premier League starts to his name this term, after only making five league starts last season, but he announced his return to full fitness in fantastic style on the international stage.

Having been called up by Thomas Tuchel to the England squad, James repaid that faith by scoring the opener in a routine 3-0 win over Latvia on Monday, 24 March, with Harry Kane and Eberechi Eze sealing the win.

James’ celebration baffled many England fans, but with his last two campaigns plagued with injuries, it was likely a very emotional moment for the right-back.

Now, his teammate needs the same support he has received over the last two years, with Omari Kellyman undergoing surgery amid another setback at Stamford Bridge since his summer move from Aston Villa.

Reece James and Nicolas Jackson console Chelsea youngster

Taking to Instagram [25 March], Kellyman shared an image of himself in a hospital bed, writing: “Successful surgery. Road to recovery starts now,” with a blue heart emoji.

Just hours after scoring for England in the 3-0 win over Latvia, James liked the post as a sign of support, joined by striker Nicolas Jackson, who has also been injured for Chelsea.

Enzo Maresca adds Omari Kellyman to growing injury list at Chelsea

Football Insider verdict

Enzo Maresca is already without Noni Madueke, Marc Guiu, Jackson and Cole Palmer, who could be an incredibly frustrating miss for Chelsea, even despite his recent dip in form.

Despite their most recent defeat to Arsenal, the Blues are in a brilliant position to secure Champions League football ahead of next season, with Man City, Newcastle, Brighton and Fulham all fighting for a top-four finish.

Maresca also has the Europa Conference League title to fight for, and despite Fiorentina and Real Betis still being in the competition, Chelsea will be expected to lift the trophy this season.

Even with all the first-team injuries, the Blues were unbeaten in four matches across all competitions before the trip to the Emirates Stadium, which should offer some hope in the end-of-season run-in.

While Kellyman was unlikely to feature in any of these upcoming fixtures, much like James, his season has been an extremely frustrating one and the supporters are yet to see what he can produce on the pitch.

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