"He's our captain" - Marc Cucurella makes defiant Reece James statement after Chelsea injury setback
Chelsea star Marc Cucurella has backed his team-mate and captain Reece James after the right-back suffered yet another injury blow.
James, who missed the start of the season through injury and suspension, was dealt another blow following the November international break.
Enzo Maresca confirmed that the defender picked up another injury to his hamstring ahead of Chelsea's clash with Leicester.
While Cucurella and his team-mates managed to come away from the King Power Stadium with a 2-1 victory, the Blues did not have a recognised right-back in their squad after James' injury and Malo Gusto was absent through illness.
While Gusto is expected to return shortly, James could face a spell on the sidelines once again as the Chelsea captain is set for a scan on his hamstring to learn the extent of his injury.
James' Chelsea team-mates are backing him to return stronger, with Kieran Gill of The Daily Mail revealing what Cucurella had to say after the Blues' latest win.
"We are very sad. It's tough," Cucurella began. "He's fit again then has a small injury. We know he's very important for us, he's our captain. He will work hard and can be with us again very soon."
With Maresca managing James' minutes since his return, the Chelsea boss will be hoping that he has done enough to ensure that his captain will not remain on the sidelines for a lengthy period of time.
The Blues sit third in the Premier League table, level on points with Arsenal in fourth, and will be eyeing up a favourable run of fixtures over the Christmas period as an opportunity to cement their place in the top four.
Cucurella's performances have been key to Chelsea's good form this season, with the Spaniard one of the key players in Maresca's system at Stamford Bridge.
However, it has not always been straightforward for Cucurella after a big-money move from Brighton under Thomas Tuchel.
Since then, Cucurella has played under his former Brighton boss Graham Potter, interim manager Frank Lampard and last season's head coach Mauricio Pochettino before finding his place in Maresca's side.
Continuing to speak to Gill after Leicester, Cucurella reflected on his journey at Chelsea and discussed his love for the fans.
He said: "The fans sing my song, it's very special. I work hard to have these moments. The fans believe in me so I'm very happy. We came from tough times. We are in a good way. We need to keep going. We cannot relax."
