Chelsea captain Reece James insists he 'hasn't felt this good in a LONG time' after returning from hamstring injury - but admits he must be 'slow and steady' in his recovery to avoid another setback

Reece James has insisted that he 'hasn't felt this good in a long time' having finally recovered from a lengthy lay-off due to injury.

Since the start of 2023, James has missed 18 games for Premier League giants Chelsea, as well as a number of call-ups for international duty. 

Most recently, after becoming fit for the start of the 2023-24 season, the defender picked up a hamstring injury in training after Chelsea's opening match against Liverpool. 

James returned to Chelsea's squad for their London derby clash against Arsenal in October and, having helped Chelsea pick up key points recently, the 23-year-old admitted he can feel his 'strength and fitness building up'.

‘I haven’t felt this good in a long time,’ James told the club website. ‘I definitely feel my strength and fitness building up again. 

'I haven’t been able to play 90 minutes yet, but I’m training and playing hard, and pushing the limits every day to get back to my best level.

On returning to the squad, James added: ‘I’m happy to be helping the team again as well. After almost three months out, it takes a while to build back up and find your form again. 

'Some people think as soon as you come back you should instantly be at the level you left at, but it doesn’t work like that. 

With Chelsea currently in tenth position in the Premier League table, James noted that the Blues' performances have been improving lately. 

‘Our performances in the past five or six weeks have picked up. Everyone is happy around the place. Our confidence is growing. Results help that. It’s the starting point.

‘We’ve had a tough run of games, and we’ve picked up some good points. We have stepped up. We need to keep building on this now.’

Having faced Man City, Arsenal and Tottenham in their last four league clashes, they have remained unbeaten across each of them as Mauricio Pochettino has begun to find his feet on his return to the Premier League. 

Chelsea travel to St James Park where they face Newcastle on Saturday.