James out for minimum of five games - Bompastor
Sonia Bompastor says Lauren James is out for at least the next few weeks, casting doubt on her availability for England's World Cup qualifying play-off matches.
Key points
- Lauren James will miss at least Chelsea's next five matches with a hamstring injury.
- Her absence casts doubt on her availability for England's World Cup play-off against Ukraine in December.
- Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor said she must find solutions without James on the pitch.
Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor has said Lauren James will be out for at least the next five matches after scans showed a hamstring injury. The 25-year-old came off in distress in the 35th minute of Chelsea's 6-0 win over Charlton Athletic.
The absence covers Everton's visit to Stamford Bridge on Saturday and a key match against champions Manchester City the following weekend. It also raises questions over whether James will be available for England's World Cup qualifying play-off matches against Ukraine in December.
Bompastor on the injury
Bompastor confirmed James is the only player missing through injury and said she will not return until the end of this block of games. "She had a scan and she has an injury in her hamstring," the manager said.
Chelsea had better news on midfielder Lexi Potter, who made her England debut last month and is back after missing the Charlton trip.
She had a scan and she has an injury in her hamstring, so we won't see her until the end of this block.
— Sonia Bompastor
Finding solutions without James
Bompastor said her job is to find solutions when players are unavailable, pointing to Chelsea's spread of scorers. She noted that in the Charlton game many players were involved in scoring and every player on the pitch had a shot on goal.
Chelsea are top of the WSL table, having won matches both with and without James this season.
