Chelsea captain James out for 'several weeks' after knee surgery

LONDON, Oct 16 : Chelsea captain Reece James will be sidelined for several weeks, manager Xabi Alonso said on Friday, following successful minor knee surgery after an injury in training.

• “He wanted to have a good start after the international break, but in the last training (session) he picked up an injury," Alonso told a press conference before his side visit Everton in the Premier League on Saturday.

• "We wanted to be cautious and wait to know the result of the tests, but now the surgery has gone well and has been successful ... We don’t set timelines, but he will be out for several weeks."

• The 26-year-old wing back was injured ahead of Chelsea's 5-1 victory over Bournemouth at Stamford Bridge last Saturday.

• British media said James is likely to be out for three months.

• The England international has suffered numerous injuries over the past few seasons and was left out of the squad for the most recent international fixtures because of injury.