Chelsea’s Reece James will be out for the rest of the season, and Mason Mount could miss the tour after surgery

Chelsea defender Rhys James has been ruled out for the remainder of the Premier League season, while Mason Mount is also set to be ruled out for Round 2 after undergoing surgery.

James sustained a hamstring injury during Chelsea’s Champions League quarter-final defeat to Real Madrid, while Mount has had an abdominal problem for some time.

Mount went to see a specialist on Monday over a pubic muscle injury and was advised to undergo minor surgery, which Chelsea imposed after seeing their slim hope of scrapping the silverware.

Mount had the operation on Tuesday and is now set to be out for three to four weeks, with the Premier League season ending on May 28.

Speaking ahead of Chelsea’s Premier League game against Brentford on Wednesday, caretaker coach Frank Lampard said: “Reece James is not there. Probably for this season.

Mason’s mount maybe the same. Likely for the last game but maybe not.

“Mason has had this pelvic injury for a long time. He’s been trying but now we’re at a point where he’s going to have minor surgery and a four-week recovery, and we all know where that leads.”

Mount has offered 35 times in total this season, but his future at Chelsea remains unclear with the England midfielder yet to agree new terms on a deal that expires next summer.

the athlete Liverpool are reported to be topping the list of local suitors, while a meeting with Thomas Tuchel at Bayern Munich has also been discussed.

Lampard confirmed that Chelsea will also be without Kai Havertz on Wednesday, adding: “Kai still has a bit of a knee problem so he won’t be available, but the good news is he has to train at the weekend.”

Chelsea are heading down to 11th in the table with seven matches remaining.

(Photo: Getty Images)