Alonso: James a key influence despite Chelsea knee surgery

Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso has confirmed that captain Reece James will remain a central presence in the dressing room while recovering from knee surgery, as the club prepares to travel to Everton in the Premier League.

James underwent the operation on a knee injury sustained in training last Friday. Alonso offered no timeframe for his return but made clear the 26-year-old's role within the squad would not diminish.

"We are all disappointed, and especially for him," said Alonso. "He wanted to have a good start after the international break, but in the last training session he picked up an injury. Now, the surgery has been successful and we will keep supporting him. He will be close to the team as he is a great influence even when he is not available."

Alonso also described James's standing at the club: "He is so proud to be playing for this club. He takes that responsibility in a very natural way, with his own way of leadership. He is so respected by his team-mates."

Ahead of the Everton trip, Alonso confirmed Emmanuel Emegha and Jamie Gittens remain unavailable. Emegha, who joined from Strasbourg in the summer but has yet to make his debut, felt a minor problem in training on Thursday. "He is going to be training next week but still not 100 per cent fit," the manager said, while describing the 23-year-old Dutch forward as "very special" when fully fit.

Gittens suffered his injury while on international duty with England Under-21s. Alonso indicated the winger faces several more weeks on the sidelines: "Not yet, it's still a few weeks."

Chelsea arrive at Goodison Park on the back of a 5-1 home win over Bournemouth, their first away fixture of the season.