Mauricio Pochettino has hinted 24-year-old Chelsea star could play for the club again after 140 days out

There is light at the end of the tunnel and Chelsea can now call on captain Reece James for the first time since December 22nd 2023 when he was forced to take surgery on a troublesome hamstring injury. 

Before the surgery, James had struggled with injuries over the past two seasons, featuring in only 24 Premier League games since the start of the 2022-23 campaign. His absence gave Malo Gusto the chance to impress but Chelsea manager Pochettino says he just has to check a few things before deciding if James could be involved. 

He told reporters ahead of the game against Nottingham Forest: "We need to see today but maybe he can be available to be in the squad."

There is no clarity over Pochettino’s future despite the obvious improvement in the team lately. Asked if he expected to be in charge of the team next season, he said: "Look, it's not important. The most important thing is to keep going, working if we are all happy, not only the owners happy with us, or the sporting directors with us, or us, with all the organisation that the club is building here because of them we are all under assessment.

"If we are happy, perfect. But it is not only if the owners are happy or the sporting directors are happy. If we are happy, you need to ask us, also, because maybe we are not happy and we accept the situation and then we are not happy and we need to split. It is not going to be the first time the coaching staff at the end of the season decide to not keep going.

"But at this end, it is always the opposite way, it is always the owners or the sporting directors. They can say tomorrow, maybe I can say 'I want to leave'. It is when two parties to make a decision.

"Because Chelsea is not happy, the owners or the sporting directors. Maybe we are not happy because we arrive here with a job to do and in the end, it has not happened as we expect. Maybe we are not happy. I am not saying I am not happy but it is always one side and maybe [we need to look at the] other side."

Nottingham Forest are fighting relegation and are expected to put up a stiff challenge for the three points at the City Grounds.