Photo by James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images
Photo by James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images
It is early days, but former Premier League manager Steve Bruce is a fan of some of the work that Xabi Alonso has already done at Chelsea.
Alonso and Chelsea have been extremely busy in the transfer window, bringing in Morgan Rogers, Maxence Lacroix and Marco Palestra.
They have also signed Jordan Henderson and Danny Welbeck, who are perhaps less glamorous names.
Sander Berge on Chelsea team
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Steve Bruce backs Xabi Alonso’s decision to bring in Jordan Henderson and Danny Welbeck
Henderson and Welbeck may not have been £117m signings, but Bruce still thinks they will be solid additions to Chelsea’s squad and has praised Alonso for bringing them in despite criticism.
Speaking to The Sun, Bruce, who managed both Henderson and Welbeck at Sunderland, said: “The prospect of Chelsea getting Jordan and Danny at their age was deemed daft by some but for me they’re the smartest of signings. It’s a bold move but also a very, very shrewd move by Xabi Alonso to bring in two relatively old heads.
“And I wasn’t surprised at all that they’ve been snapped up because I brought in John Terry to do exactly the same thing — bring leadership to a young group at Villa. This is Alonso stamping his mark on the club because young players often need the voice of experience beside them. It’s clear Chelsea have recognised the merits of a better blend which bodes well for them.”
Jordan Henderson and Danny Welbeck of England
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Henderson and Welbeck are both in their mid-30s now, which is why Chelsea have been criticised for signing the pair.
Many feel they will not be able to make much of an impact at Stamford Bridge this season. However, Henderson made 32 appearances in the Premier League last term, while Welbeck made 37 and scored 13 goals.
Neither player is past it if they can still play 30-plus games in the English top flight.
Jordan Henderson and Danny Welbeck could feature against Fulham
Both Henderson and Welbeck could make their official debuts for Chelsea on Monday night when Alonso’s side travel to Craven Cottage to face Fulham.
Henderson missed pre-season after the freak injury he picked up at the World Cup but has been in training.
READ MORE:Chelsea were offered the chance to sign a better free agent than Jordan Henderson
Welbeck also picked up a small issue at the end of Chelsea’s pre-season but is expected to be fit for their first Premier League fixture.
It is unlikely that either will start, but they could be brought on in the second half, especially if Chelsea are winning the game and Alonso needs to see out a slim lead.
Opta’s supercomputer has predicted a Chelsea win, but the weekend’s results have shown nothing is ever straightforward in the Premier League.