Overview
- James told BBC 5 Live that repeated discussion of his past injury problems is “so boring now” and said he focuses on his body, performance and blocking out outside noise.
- He recovered from a hamstring issue late in the 2025-26 club season and was selected for England’s World Cup squad, starting and playing the full match in the 4-2 opening win over Croatia.
- In that game he finished with team-high totals for aerial duels won (two) and passes into the final third (10), a measure of his defensive and progressive contributions from the right flank.
- James completed a busy 2025-26 campaign for Chelsea with 44 appearances and 33 starts, his highest workload since the 2020-21 season.
- Thomas Tuchel’s long-standing trust has produced tactical flexibility for James, including a holding-midfield shift, and James says he now aims to use his fitness and experience to help younger teammates and reduce the focus on his injury history.