Deeney: Chelsea made strange Reece James decision and he might be new Wilshere

That's the view of Troy Deeney after likening James' plight to that of former Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere who was forced into early retirement after injuries plagued his career.

The Chelsea skipper appeared set to put his injury hell behind him when he made his return in the Premier League defeat at Liverpool last month.

James went on to feature in Chelsea's following three league fixtures but disaster struck this past week when boss Enzo Meresca revealed the defender has suffered a new hamstring injury.

The 24-year-old has managed just 654 minutes of football since being named Chelsea captain 15 months ago.

According to The Telegraph, Chelsea are nervously awaiting the outcome of scan results which they are expected to receive in the coming days.

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It is understood that James is devastated over the fresh setback and the club are doing everything they can to support him.

Reacting to the news of James' latest blow, former Watford striker Deeney provided a brutal assessment of the England star's current standing and criticised Chelsea's 'strange' decision on his squad status.

"The most damning thing you can say about Reece James is that you're surprised when he's on a teamsheet," Deeney exclusively told talkSPORT.

"If he's got injury problems which he clearly has, it's unfortunate. Sometimes it's just the way your body is. Some people train their best and they just break down.

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"But it just seems to me that he always breaks down and I thought it was strange to make him captain if I'm being totally honest for that reason that he's never fit and available."

His recent return has shown that James still has plenty of admirers when it comes to team selection despite spending long periods on the sidelines.

The Blues have recruited Renato Veiga, Malo Gusto and Marc Cucurella in recent times, while Axel Disasi has also been deployed at full-back.

But Deeney is unsure how much longer James can command a place in the starting XI with a lack of game time and rhythm.

The former striker also warned that James could see his career spiral in a similar fashion to Wilshere if he does not overcome his injury troubles soon.

"I think he's in last chance saloon as to whether he will be at Chelsea," he added. "Where he goes after that is a massive struggle because he might end up, to a lesser scale, in the Jack Wilshere mould where he has to go to a Bournemouth on a pay-as-you-play type deal.

"Within two years he could be out of the game and it's a shame because he's clearly talented and a very good player but you have to be fit and available or there's no point having all that talent."