Enzo Fernandez
Enzo Fernandez is set to return to Chelsea training at Cobham this week(Image: Johnny Fidelin/Icon Sport)
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Chelsea's pre-season tour is now over. Four different countries in the space of two weeks with five matches played in that period, but it is now time for Xabi Alonso and his Blues squad to return to the club's Cobham base.
Alonso had the majority of his first-team players in Australia, Hong Kong, Indonesia and Malaysia with him but he is set to work with a large chunk of them for the first time in the coming days. The majority of said players represented their countries at the latter stages of the World Cup and were allowed an extended break following their exploits.
Sources say Enzo Fernandez is set to return to Chelsea training this week despite the ongoing speculation over the midfielder's Stamford Bridge future. The 25-year-old was of interest to Real Madrid earlier in the summer transfer window, although there was never any direct club-to-club contact between Los Blancos and the Blues.
However, last month, Real released a statement claiming they will not be pursuing a move for Fernandez in the summer window. Chelsea insiders have been relaxed about Fernandez's situation all summer-long. Pay £120million, and he's yours, if not, he will be playing his football in west London next season.
Alonso has admitted he wants the Argentina international, who was sent off in the World Cup final defeat to Spain last month, to stay in the capital. There is an expectation from club sources that Fernandez will be doing just that.
Fernandez is set to reunite with his Chelsea colleagues in Cobham later this week as Alonso prepares his team for this weekend's pre-season friendly against Real Sociedad at Stamford Bridge.
Elsewhere, new signings Morgan Rogers, Maxence Lacroix and Valentin Barco, who played for England, France and Argentina respectively at the World Cup, are expected to report to the club's Surrey base in the coming days. Pep Chavarria, also, is set to train with his new teammates for the first time once his £16.2m (plus add-ons) move from Rayo Vallecano is confirmed.
Everything has been completed for Chavarria to become a Chelsea player, although we await official club confirmation.
Fellow new signing Jordan Henderson will be assessed at Cobham this week after he suffered a serious arm injury in the post-match celebrations of England's World Cup win over Mexico last month. Speaking last week about the 36-year-old midfielder's problem, Alonso said: "With Jordan, we expect that he can start training with all the rest of the players that were involved in the semis of the World Cup.
"We have a few of them involved, so we are looking forward to welcome them. And Jordan, we need to assess because of the injury he had, how long it would take to be fit to compete, because he can train, but we need to be aware of the situation."
Reece James and Malo Gusto are among those expected to return. Emmanuel Emegha is still recovering from a hamstring injury that saw him miss the pre-season tour but is said to be making good progress behind the scenes.