The Chelsea manager will learn plenty about his squad during pre-season as they ready themselves for their 2026/27 Premier League opener.
Xabi Alonso is ramping up his preparations for his debut season in charge as Chelsea’s new manager.
Chelsea made the decision to appoint the 44-year-old on a four-year contract as they enter a new chapter in the Todd Boehly-Clearlake Capital ownership.
Alonso left his role as Real Madrid boss earlier this year and will now take charge of Chelsea in the Premier League next season, with their opening game against Fulham in a west London derby on August 24.
He has already met many of his playing squad after they returned to the club’s Cobham training base earlier in July to begin pre-season preparations for the new campaign.
They will soon be joined by the late arrivals from those who participated in the World Cup, with more to follow for those who reached the latter stages of the tournament - including Malo Gusto, Reece James, Trevoh Chalobah and Enzo Fernandez.
It’s been a busy summer for Chelsea already. Marco Palestra and Morgan Rogers, who signed for a club-record fee, have arrived, with several other targets being identified to bolster the team for 2026-27. Geovany Quenda and Emmanuel Emegha have also linked up with the group after their pre-agreements to join the club.
Alonso has the luxury of Chelsea playing minimal games next term after they failed to qualify for any European football. It gives him a chance to implement his vision on the squad, which has already begun in pre-season.
Xabi Alonso poses for a photograph with the club shirt after his Chelsea unveiling press conference. REUTERS/David KleinChelsea now have six games to prepare for the upcoming campaign, with the Blues set to jet off to Australia and Asia on Sunday to start their tour. They will play in Australia, Hong Kong, Indonesia and Malaysia, before returning to London for one final match at Stamford Bridge.
As part of the tour, Chelsea will face Western Sydney Wanderers, Tottenham Hotspur, Juventus, AC Milan and Johor Darul Ta'zim. Alonso’s side will host Real Sociedad to conclude their preparations, offering the Spaniard a chance to meet the home crowd for the first time.
Chelsea’s 2026 pre-season schedule in full
| Date | Opponent | KO Time (UK) | Stadium |
| 28/07/2026 | Western Sydney Wanderers | 10:45 AM | Accor Stadium, Sydney, Australia |
| 01/08/2026 | Spurs | 10:45 AM | Accor Stadium, Sydney, Australia |
| 05/08/2026 | Juventus | 12:30 PM | Kai Tak Stadium, Hong Kong |
| 08/08/2026 | AC Milan | 1:00 PM | GBK Stadium Jakarta, Indonesia |
| 09/08/2026 | Johor Darul Ta'zim | 1:00 PM | Sultan Ibrahim Stadium, Iskandar Puteri, Malaysia |
| 15/08/2026 | Real Sociedad | 2:00 PM | Stamford Bridge, England |
Alonso’s message has been made clear to his players, staff and the hierarchy from day one. He’s here to win.
“We need to have hunger. We need to have the passion for the game. We need to want to improve.
“The Premier League is such a competitive competition, and for that, we need to prepare ourselves.
“We need to be really, really determined in the details, really strong in our basics and how we want to play.
“We need to build the right basics, the essentials on a daily basis, to be ready for the weekends. We will have time for that, but those are the most important pillars in our game.”
Chelsea will be put through their paces over the next few weeks. Players will come and go as decisions are made regarding their futures. But one thing is for certain - this is Alonso’s time to nail down who he wants to take into the new season with him.
