Chelsea have received a major fitness boost before facing Fulham after Xabi Alonso confirmed most of his squad are fit to train.
The Blues returned to work at Cobham on Tuesday as preparations intensified for Monday night’s Premier League opener at Craven Cottage.
Several Chelsea players only recently returned following extended involvement at the World Cup, creating questions over whether everyone would be ready for Alonso’s first competitive match.
The head coach has now delivered an encouraging update.
🚨 NEW: Xabi Alonso: “For me it’s not to tell people what to expect, it’s to show, to deliver, words are really cheap, I can say oh they can expect 100 goals but we need to perform on the pitch. Show me, don’t tell me” (@MenInBlazers) #CFC pic.twitter.com/qjh8xIYmub
— Pys (@CFCPys) August 17, 2026
Xabi Alonso delivers Chelsea fitness boost before Fulham
“Most of the players are fit to train,” Alonso told Chelsea’s official website.
He acknowledged that fitness levels vary across the squad because of Chelsea’s disrupted pre-season, but expects his players to be ready.
Alonso also confirmed Chelsea have five training sessions before facing Fulham, giving him almost a full week to work with the group. Chelsea’s official training update confirmed the first of those sessions took place at Cobham on Tuesday.
That preparation time could prove particularly useful for several players who have only recently returned to full involvement.
ReadChelsea reported on Tuesday that Romeo Lavia, Estevao and Jamie Gittens all featured against Real Sociedad to hand Alonso a triple Fulham boost. All three came off the bench during the 3-1 win.
Competition has also intensified further forward.
Morgan Rogers has already explained how his versatility gives Alonso several positional options, with ReadChelsea looking at how the £117m signing could solve a major Chelsea selection headache.
Chelsea therefore appear likely to travel to Fulham with Alonso facing selection decisions rather than a major availability crisis.
Five more sessions remain.
For a squad whose pre-season preparations were fragmented by the World Cup, that could be one of Chelsea’s biggest advantages before the new campaign begins.
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