Xabi Alonso Confirms Chelsea Training Schedule As Blues Prepare For Fulham Opener | OneFootball

Focus is now on the new season after Chelsea's pre-season concluded. Video Credit: Absolute Chelsea

Xabi Alonso is now gearing his Chelsea side up for the upcoming Premier League after they played their final pre-season fixture.

Chelsea wrapped up their pre-season with a 3-1 win over La Liga side Real Sociedad at Stamford Bridge, completing a six-game schedule with a victory.

Alonso has had about six weeks to work with most of his squad and will have one more week to put the finishing touches on his team before their Premier League opener against Fulham on August 24.

The 44-year-old now has all of his Chelsea squad available to him following the return of the final World Cup stars who reached the latter stages of the competition.

It has been a period of settling in, learning and instilling his ideas and approach as Chelsea look to better their 10th-place finish last season in a bid to return to the Champions League.

With Chelsea and Fulham the final teams to play on the opening weekend of the 2026/27 campaign, Alonso is handed the luxury of a full week's training at their Cobham base.

With Chelsea having a full week to prepare, Alonso has confirmed what their plans are for the Fulham fixture.

The Blues will have five more sessions to complete their preparations for their match against Álvaro Arbeloa's side, with the Spaniard taking over the managerial duties from Marco Silva.

"We plan to have five training sessions before the Fulham game now, and that’s the main focus," confirmed Alonso to Chelsea's in-house media.

It will give the new signings and the late returnees another chance to build their fitness and get up to full speed.

Many featured against Real Sociedad and were given around an hour, including new arrivals Maxence Lacroix and Morgan Rogers, as well as club captain Reece James.

Alonso was impressed with their performances against Real Sociedad, adding: "They did quite well to play this well after just three days of training.

"It’s early days and there is so much to connect and improve and live together, but the most important is the hunger and the desire they have to want to have a great season and create a good feeling in the team that will transmit to the rest."

While many positions will have already been picked by Alonso, there will no doubt be several who he is mulling over as he decides his first official starting XI since his appointment as Chelsea manager.

In attack, Joao Pedro will no doubt start against Fulham given his role at Chelsea and given his pre-season form. He scored another two in the Real Sociedad win.

But who plays with him? Morgan Rogers and Cole Palmer are the likely two. But Estevao Willian is also waiting in the wings, while Pedro Neto and Geovany Quenda have both been utilised in wing-back roles in pre-season too. Jamie Gittens is also another option.

James has shown he can play in midfield. With speculation surrounding Enzo Fernandez's future, if he is still at the club, Alonso needs to decide whether to move James back into defence to allow Romeo Lavia or Fernandez to partner ever-present Moises Caicedo.

Alonso has difficult decisions to make, though they are good dilemmas given the options at his disposal.