Xabi Alonso prepares Chelsea for Tottenham clash

Xabi Alonso is unlikely to treat this as just another gentle pre-season run-out.

Chelsea meet Tottenham on Saturday morning, and after easing his way into life in the dugout, the new head coach looks ready to lean on some of his heavier artillery from the start.

Alonso ready to roll out the big guns

Against Western Sydney, Alonso waited until the final 25 minutes to unleash a wave of talent from the bench. Robert Sanchez, Levi Colwill, Wesley Fofana, Cole Palmer, Marco Palestra, Estevao, Jamie Gittens and Joao Pedro all arrived in one sweeping change, tilting the game and offering a first glimpse of the depth at his disposal.

This time, the Spaniard is expected to be bolder from the opening whistle. He knows what a statement a strong display against Roberto De Zerbi’s Tottenham would make, even in July. Winning over a fanbase happens quickly when you beat a rival, friendly or not.

Sanchez is in line to replace Teddy Sharman-Lowe in goal, a move that would restore the established No1 and bring more authority to the back line. In front of him, Colwill is pushing to start at centre-back as he builds fitness and rhythm after a staggered return.

New faces and early favourites

Summer signing Marco Palestra is waiting for his first start in royal blue and has every reason to believe it comes here. The midfielder offers energy and craft, the kind of profile Alonso has typically trusted. Yet Landon Emenalo, who has quietly become one of the coach’s early favourites, stands in the way at left-back and could keep his place after an assured display.

On the flanks, Reggie Watson has already captured the hearts of the Chelsea support with his performance against Western Sydney. Direct, fearless, and relentless, he played like a man who understood the opportunity in front of him. He has earned another serious look. Mahdi Nicoll-Jazuli, bright and incisive off the bench in that same game, is also pushing hard for a starting role.

Romeo Lavia is available again after hamstring discomfort kept him out of the Western Sydney match. Alonso has confirmed his fitness, but the long-running nature of Lavia’s injury problems means caution will almost certainly prevail. The temptation to throw him in is obvious; the risk is even clearer.

Attacking reshuffle up front

Further forward, the front line is set for a subtle reshuffle rather than a full reset. Dastan Satpayev will hope to keep his place on the left, where his movement and work rate have impressed the staff. On the opposite flank, Cole Palmer is expected to step in from the start, adding a sharper creative edge and goal threat cutting in from the right.

Reggie Walsh looks poised to retain the No10 role after knitting attacks together with maturity beyond his years. Behind him, the biggest change could come at centre-forward: Liam Delap is likely to make way for Joao Pedro, who offers a more fluid, roaming presence up top and a different kind of link with Walsh and Palmer.

New signings wait, injuries linger

Not everyone will be involved. Maxence Lacroix, whose move from Crystal Palace was only confirmed on Thursday, will not feature as paperwork and integration take priority over minutes. The same applies to Morgan Rogers, still on his post-World Cup break and not yet back in the fold.

There are also fitness doubts that cloud Alonso’s options. Jorrel Hato and Mamadou Sarr both missed the Western Sydney game and remain touch-and-go for Tottenham. Their availability could shape the bench and the level of defensive cover Alonso can call upon.

Filip Jorgensen, meanwhile, has already flown home to complete a transfer, trimming the goalkeeping group and removing one option from the rotation.

It is only pre-season on paper. For Alonso, facing De Zerbi and Tottenham with a stronger hand, it already feels like the first real test of what this Chelsea side might become.