Lauren James to miss at least five Chelsea games with hamstring injury

Lauren James will miss at least Chelsea’s next five matches after suffering a hamstring injury, manager Sonia Bompastor has confirmed. BBC Sport reported that the forward is expected to be sidelined for several weeks, with her availability for England’s World Cup qualifying play-off matches against Ukraine in December also in doubt.

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The 25-year-old was forced off in the 35th minute of Chelsea’s 6-0 victory over Charlton Athletic. Bompastor said a subsequent scan had established the nature of the injury and ruled James out for the remainder of the current block of fixtures. The manager did not announce a specific date for her return to action.

The absence includes Saturday’s home match against Everton at Stamford Bridge and the meeting with reigning champions Manchester City the following weekend. BBC Sport put the minimum number of Chelsea games James will miss at five. That confirmed club absence does not, however, amount to a definitive ruling on her involvement in England’s December play-offs.

There was better availability news elsewhere in Chelsea’s squad. Midfielder Lexi Potter is back after missing the trip to Charlton, Bompastor said. Potter made her England debut last month. Her return was the positive part of an update in which the manager identified James as the player who would be missing for the Everton fixture.

Chelsea lead the Women’s Super League table and have already won games both with James in the side and without her this season. Bompastor acknowledged the forward’s importance but pointed to the range of players contributing goals. She said finding ways for the team to perform when individuals are unavailable was part of her responsibility as manager.

The Chelsea boss highlighted the Charlton win as evidence of that shared contribution. Several players were involved in the scoring, and she said the statistics showed every player on the pitch had attempted a shot. While noting that those efforts were not all of high quality, Bompastor welcomed the willingness to shoot as she prepares the team to continue without James.