The defender suffered a hamstring injury in August and has spent the last seven weeks on the sidelines.
He missed the chance to make a return to Mauricio Pochettino's matchday squad earlier this month against Burnley due to a suspension.
Last month, James was charged with using “insulting or abusive” language when speaking to an official after Chelsea's 1-0 defeat to Aston Villa and subsequently handed a one-match ban.
The England star was expected to make his return this weekend against Arsenal.
However, he has been hit with another injury setback.