Chelsea forward Lauren James will miss at least five matches with a hamstring injury confirmed by a scan. Her absence includes games against Everton and Manchester City and means her availability for England’s December play-offs against Ukraine is uncertain. Sonia Bompastor says she must find attacking solutions without James.
Lauren James will miss at least Chelsea’s next five matches after suffering a hamstring injury. Manager Sonia Bompastor confirmed on Friday that a scan had identified the problem and that the forward would be unavailable until the end of the current block of fixtures. James had left the pitch in the 35th minute of the previous weekend’s 6–0 victory over Charlton Athletic.[1], [2]
The absence includes Everton’s visit to Stamford Bridge and the meeting with defending champions Manchester City the following weekend. James’s availability for England’s World Cup qualifying play-off matches against Ukraine in December is also uncertain. Chelsea lead the Women’s Super League, ahead of Manchester City on goal difference, having won games both with and without James this season.[1]
Bompastor said her task was to find solutions while James was unavailable. She pointed to the different scorers in the Charlton victory and said every player on the pitch had attempted a shot at goal. The manager said Chelsea knew James’s quality, but could score through several players. Her account put the emphasis on the squad’s attacking options during the forward’s absence.[1]
