Reece James’ 2025 has been peppered with landmarks in his Chelsea career, and he will end the year with another.

On May 25, Chelsea qualified for the Champions League for the first time under James’ captaincy. Three days later, he lifted his first trophy as captain when Chelsea won the Conference League, and on July 13, he added another with victory over Paris Saint-Germain in the Club World Cup final. October 18 saw James reach 200 appearances for his boyhood club on their trip to Nottingham Forest.

Tonight, when Chelsea host Bournemouth, will mark another milestone: one year injury-free. After a hamstring injury in November 2024, James returned to Enzo Maresca’s matchday squad on December 30 for their 2-0 defeat away at Ipswich Town and, bar a brief illness in March, has been fit ever since.

Given how injuries have disrupted the 26-year-old’s career to date, that is a huge achievement — for which both player and club deserve credit.

“The fact that he’s been able to sustain a good period without injury is definitely a positive sign for him going forward,” says physiotherapist Luke Anthony, who has not worked with James but provided The Athletic with a general view from his time at Watford, Reading, and Norwich City.

“I think probably the biggest difference with him is he’s been able to get on a run (of games) and he’s had a period of adaptation where he has developed that robustness.

“What may have happened is either that he has just been able to develop that consistency of training and develop strength in his body, (or) whether he has changed his approach.”

Two statistics from Chelsea’s festive fixtures highlight the improvement in James’ availability.

He made his 50th club appearance of 2025 against Aston Villa on Saturday, the highest figure he has reached in a calendar year since 2021. Hamstring and knee problems have particularly plagued James, and across the past three full seasons, he has averaged 22.3 appearances in all competitions per campaign. He has already made 22 appearances this season with five months remaining.

The club’s medical team, led by Bryce Cavanagh, have managed James carefully. Ben Macdonald, one of Chelsea’s rehab physios, has been tasked with working closely with James on his fitness and the two have developed a strong rapport.

James is also an example of how Chelsea believe their approach to load management can pay off. As The Athletic have reported, this season has seen a deliberate strategy of carefully managing players’ minutes, led by the medical and performance team.

The graph below shows James’ rolling minutes-per-game average. Previously, steep drops were followed by sharp peaks as he was introduced to a heavy load quickly after returning. Since his return in January, his minutes have been managed more carefully.