Chelsea captain Reece James gets FOUR-match ban after 'painful' red card at Brighton

Reece James will serve a four-match ban after his red card in Wednesday’s 2-1 win at Brighton, meaning the Chelsea captain will miss the first three games of next season.

His suspension is also a blow to his hopes of a call-up for Euro 2024 as he bids to prove his fitness to Gareth Southgate before the England manager names his squad for the tournament next week.

James had been hoping to make a late push for a place in the England squad following his return after five months out with a hamstring injury.

But he was sent off for kicking out at Brighton forward Joao Pedro in an off-the-ball incident just 17 minutes after he had been introduced as a substitute during Wednesday night’s 2-1 win at the Amex.

Having already been sent off once this season at Newcastle in November, his three-game ban has been upgraded.

James will miss Chelsea’s final match of the season at home to Bournemouth on Sunday, when they need a point to secure European qualification.

He will also miss the first three games of next season, in the latest setback for the right-back as he bids to get his career going after an injury-hit few years.

James has been limited to just five starts and 11 appearances for Chelsea this season after taking longer than expected to recover from the surgery on his right hamstring.

Chelsea head coach Mauricio Pochettino said his red card was a “painful” blow.

Pochettino said: “It’s difficult to give my opinion because I didn’t have time to see the action. But it’s painful [for us] because it’s a fantastic night of football and he’s a really important player.

“Now he is going to miss the next game and a few games next season.”