Chelsea academy duo Reggie Watson and Tayo Subuloye are back in first-team training ahead of next week’s busy run of fixtures.

The Blues resumed preparation for the busy week on Tuesday after well-earned two days off following the 2-0 win over Everton.

Chelsea must prepare for three consecutive big matches against Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday, Liverpool on Wednesday, and Manchester United the following weekend.

This likely means Alonso will have to rotate the team and utilise the squad depth. Watson and Subuloye have also returned to first-team training to join fellow academy star Mahdi Nicoll-Jazuli, who stayed with the first team over the weekend.

Watson and Subuloye were with the Chelsea Under-21s, recently rebranded as Cobham Next Gen, to help them secure a 2-1 Premier League 2 win over Stoke City last Friday.

Subuloye captained the development side, while Watson, who started in midfield, proved decisive, scoring a late free-kick to seal the win. Unfortunately, the goal is officially credited as an own goal, since Watson’s strike hit the post and bounced off the back of the goalkeeper’s head before it went in.

Still, after such a strong performance for the academy side, the pair will certainly hope to be involved next week, particularly in the Carabao Cup clash with Liverpool at Anfield.

This will also be the case for Nicoll-Jazuli, who remained with the first team and was on the bench against Everton.

Since Moises Caicedo and Jordan Henderson started in Chelsea’s midfield for the last two games, Watson and Nicoll-Jazuli will likely compete with Romeo Lavia and Valentin Barco, who are also vying for more minutes.

Young defender Subuloye, meanwhile, is still waiting for his senior Chelsea debut. Unlike the two academy midfielders, his chances of getting involved are slimmer, since Alonso does not rotate his defence as often. The more experienced Aaron Anselmino has struggled to make even the bench because of the fierce competition for spots.

The other players who will be vying for rotation minutes next week are Estevao Willian, Danny Welbeck, Emmanuel Emegha, Marco Palestra, Geovany Quenda, and Wesley Fofana.

At least some of these will certainly get their chance to impress, since Alonso will want to manage his key players’ minutes.

The Chelsea manager previously made it clear that he wanted to compete on all fronts, including cup competitions. So, it will be interesting to see how he rotates the team in the next few games.

“We always want to choose a competitive team,” Alonso said after the Carabao Cup win over Luton Town in late August.

“We are taking all the games seriously, and we are in a moment in the season where many things and processes are starting.”