Chelsea is awaiting the results of a scan on club captain Reece James, who has worsened a hamstring injury.

The club announced earlier this month that the Englishman will take over as captain after Cesar Azpilicueta left in the summer.

In last Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Liverpool, James was given the starting nod, but, according to manager Mauricio Pochettino, he was taken off in the latter stages of the game due to “tiredness.”

According to Sky Italy, additional testing has verified a hamstring strain, and Chelsea is awaiting word on the seriousness of the injury.

The 23-year-old was limited to just 24 games last season and was forced to miss the World Cup due to a knee injury he sustained in a Champions League victory against Milan more than a year ago.

Malo Gusto, a summer acquisition from Lyon who is anticipated to play on Sunday against West Ham as Mauricio Pochettino seeks his first competitive victory as Spurs boss, took James’ place in the last minutes of the Liverpool game.

Meanwhile, Chelsea has reluctantly agreed to sell Lewis Hall after receiving a £28 million offer from Newcastle.

The Blues didn’t want to sell one of their best young players when the summer transfer window opened, but after the kid made a splashy debut the previous year, the offer—even if it came from a Premier League rival—was deemed too good to pass up.

In addition, Michael Olise’s decision to agree to a new four-year contract with the Eagles ended Pochettino’s hopes of signing him away from Crystal Palace.

Chelsea activated the 21-year-old’s £35 million release clause earlier this week, hoping for a quick settlement.

But in response to Chelsea’s offer, Palace has urged the former Reading star to sign a contract right now and play a bigger role in the team’s future without Wilfried Zaha.