Chelsea has confirmed that new manager Xabi Alonso will officially commence pre-season training with the club next Thursday, July 9th. Although Alonso has yet to arrive at Cobham, some of the club's recent signings, including Dastan Satpaev from Kairat and Geovany Quenda from Sporting, have already begun their preparations.
Players not participating in the World Cup, such as Joao Pedro and Cole Palmer, are expected to report on the first day. The eight Chelsea players involved in the FIFA tournament in North America will return in stages after a short post-season break. Chelsea's pre-season tour includes matches in Australia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, and Malaysia before their Premier League opener against Fulham.
44‑year‑old former central midfielder Xabi Alonso moved to Chelsea from Bayer Leverkusen. He earned 114 caps for Spain.