Ahead of the pre-season friendly against Juventus, Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso attended a press conference to answer media questions.
How is Mudryk doing now? What is his physical condition?
We are very excited to have Mudryk with us. Truly excited. I think everyone can see his smile, how great it is for him to be part of the team, as he had been training alone for a long time before. As for his physical condition, we will have to see. But he has been training very hard, and now it's about trying to get involved, pass to his teammates, and integrate into the team's dynamic. But the intuitive feeling everyone has is that we are all happy for him to be back with the team.
When will Jordan Henderson be fit again? What is the latest on Robert Sanchez's injury?
Regarding Jordan, we expect him to start training with all the other players who participated in the World Cup semi-finals. We have several players involved, so we are very much looking forward to their return. As for Jordan, due to his previous injury, we need to assess how long it will take for him to reach match fitness, because even though he can train, we must be cautious about his actual condition. Robert is much better, so let's see how things are tomorrow.
Can Danny Welbeck or Mudryk play tomorrow?
Yes. Both of them can.
Is Mudryk physically fit enough to play?
We trained yesterday. He came straight from the airport to the hotel. So, yesterday the focus was more on getting back the feeling and emotions, rejoining his teammates, and assessing his physical condition. But yes, he can play, maybe playing a full 90 minutes is still too early, but he can be included in the squad list. He has been included, so he will be able to feature.
Given Chelsea's significant investment in the transfer market, is there pressure on the team?
Every season is a time for investment, signings, and selling players, but everything we do is according to a predetermined plan. So, there are still three weeks until the transfer window closes, but we already have an idea of the final squad construction. Let's try to achieve it in the best possible way, and it must also be financially sound. Your spending must be combined with the income generated from selling players, which absolutely needs to be reasonable. We hope for a successful season. Let's see where the team stands by next May, but what is certain is that we want to show competitiveness and ensure we are eligible to compete for important honors this year. Time will tell, but that is our current goal.
Will Chelsea loan out Mudryk?
No decision has been made yet. Everything happened so quickly, so the most important thing from a human perspective is to make him feel back in the team's dynamic, part of the squad, and then we will assess. But what is certain is that he is a very special player, and his situation is also special, so we need to handle it carefully and meticulously.
Do you think Nicolas Jackson is part of the club's future plans?
Yes, Nico (Jackson) is a very good player. He is a huge threat to any defense. So we want to have competitive players, and Nico is definitely one of them. We need to look at various options day by day, but we are happy to have Nico with us.
What exactly is Mudryk's current physical condition?
So far, he has been training alone for a long time, so it's definitely different because football is a team sport, and he needs to interact with his teammates. However, he has been very professional in this regard and has put in tremendous effort. Now it's about gradually integrating and getting back into the team's overall rhythm.
After the loss to Tottenham, what areas do Chelsea need to improve?
Yes, I would say we are currently in the middle of pre-season. We have been training together for three weeks, and there are about three weeks until the start of the new season. Therefore, we will take every match seriously and analyze it, summarizing what we have trained, what we have done well, and what areas need improvement. We have already deeply dissected the match against Tottenham and will do the same for tomorrow's match. We know Juventus is a great team with experienced and excellent players and a superb coach, so this will be an extremely challenging, interesting, and very valuable test for us.
In terms of physical condition, what level has Chelsea reached currently?
Yes, we are still in the pre-season phase. So, the current physical condition has certainly not yet reached the final required level. We are very much looking forward to playing in this new stadium. I have known another stadium in Hong Kong before, but the enthusiasm and engagement shown by the local fans here are truly amazing. You can feel that despite the long distance, their hearts are so close to us.
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