Xabi Alonso has welcomed the return of Reece James, with the Chelsea captain making his first pre-season appearance in Saturday’s 3-1 victory over Real Sociedad.
James only returned to training earlier this week after representing England at the World Cup, where the Three Lions finished third.
Despite having only a few training sessions under his belt, James was handed minutes against Sociedad as Alonso began integrating several returning players into his squad.
For the Chelsea boss, having his captain back represents a major boost ahead of the new campaign.
Alonso believes James brings almost everything a manager could want from an experienced leader.
“Personality, leadership, experience, quality, composure with the ball, competitiveness without the ball,” said Alonso.
“He’s very flexible in his style and in different positions, he’s a legend in the club, and he is a key player for the team.”
The comments underline the importance of James to Alonso’s plans.
His ability to operate in different positions gives Chelsea tactical flexibility, while his leadership and experience make him an influential figure both on and off the pitch.
After another disrupted period for the defender, getting James back involved will be particularly important as Chelsea build towards the competitive season.
James was not the only player making his return.New signings Maxence Lacroix and Morgan Rogers also featured for an hour against Real Sociedad after their extended involvement at the World Cup.
Rogers made an immediate impression, opening the scoring during Chelsea’s convincing victory in SW6.
Alonso was pleased with the performances but stressed that the returning players still have plenty of work ahead of them.
“They did quite well to play this well after just three days of training,” continued Alonso.
“It’s early days and there is so much to connect and improve and live together, but the most important is the hunger and the desire they have to want to have a great season and create a good feeling in the team that will transmit to the rest.”
With the new Premier League campaign approaching, Alonso is now focused on getting his squad up to the required fitness level.
The Chelsea manager confirmed that most of his players are now available to train, although their physical condition varies because of their different pre-season schedules.
“Most of the players are fit to train. The fitness levels of some are higher than others after pre-season, but all of them will be good. We plan to have five training sessions before the Fulham game now and that’s the main focus.”
For Chelsea, the priority is now clear: use those sessions to sharpen fitness, build relationships and get the returning stars fully integrated.
And for Alonso, having James back, fit and leading from the front could prove one of the biggest boosts of all.
Chelsea are getting their captain back — and Alonso already knows exactly what James brings to his new-look side.
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