​Chelsea’s new manager Xabi Alonso wasted little time putting his stamp on the club as he oversaw a first training session that blended ball work with fitness drills. The 44-year-old Spaniard, who has just arrived at Cobham, balanced internal media commitments with an on-site tour of Chelsea’s facilities, familiarising himself with every corner of the training complex. He had visited last month to meet key staff, including members of the medical department, but this week he formally settled into his new role and began shaping pre-season preparations.
As preparations for the 2026-27 campaign get underway, players were asked to report to around 9am for an extended reintroduction to training. While precise details of the session remain scarce, Alonso’s reputation for a hands-on approach and demanding, high-intensity workouts suggests a rigorous start to pre-season. The session was notable for the involvement of several new signings, including Geovany Quenda, Emmanuel Emegha and Dastan Satpaev. Satpaev was granted permission by his club, FC Kairat, to commence training early ahead of his official move when he turns 18 in August, enabling him to acclimatise with the squad ahead of the transfer.
Chelsea’s squad for the day featured a mix of players who were not selected for World Cup duty and familiar faces from the first-team setup. Among those in attendance were Cole Palmer, Joao Pedro and Levi Colwill, along with a number of academy prospects taking part in the session. In the academy ranks, Reggie Walsh, Mahdi Nichol-Jazuli, Landon Emenalo, Ryan Kavuma-McQueen and Calvin Diakite all joined the on-field work, reflecting the club’s commitment to integrating youth with first-team preparations.
Goalkeeper training formed a significant portion of the session as Rob Sanchez, Filip Jorgensen, Gabriel Slonina and Teddy Sharman-Lowe took part in dedicated drills. In outfield work, players such as Aaron Anselmino, Wesley Fofana, Dario Essugo, Jamie Gittens, Liam Delap, Josh Acheampong, Estevao Willian and Romeo Lavia were involved, underscoring a broad squad rotation as Alonso begins to assess who can contribute over the forthcoming season.
Chelsea’s pre-season plan will see them train at Cobham ahead of their overseas tour, which begins on 25 July. The Blues’ first fixtures on the trip come quickly, with a clash against Western Sydney Wanderers on 28 July, followed by a series of matches across Australia and Asia as the team continues to build chemistry under Alonso’s management. Domestically, Chelsea will kick off their Premier League campaign with an away match at Fulham on 24 August, a fixture that will mark the start of Alonso’s long-term project to restore the club to the upper echelons of English football.