These stories are samples pulled from external media sources. They do not represent the views or position of Chelsea Football Club.

Cole says Ancelotti was his favourite boss

Former Chelsea full-back Ashley Cole has told 90min.com that Carlo Ancelotti was the coach he most enjoyed working under during his time as a player, praising the Italian for his excellent man-management skills.

Ancelotti was in charge of the Blues during our Double-winning campaign in 2009/10 when we became the first team to score more than 100 goals in a Premier League campaign.

‘My favourite manager that I've played under is Carlo Ancelotti. I played under some great ones, they were all different and I loved them for different reasons, but I just felt that with Carlo Ancelotti, I had a really, really good bond with him,’ said the former England international.

‘Of course I admired him, he was a legend as a player and then of course what he achieved as a manager. Then he came to Chelsea and he was just that man manager that everyone seemed to love, whether you were playing or not.

‘He was capable of putting that arm around you when needed - not just about football stuff, if you're struggling off the field, he was very understanding which as players you want. You see that human side in people, it's not all about football, so for me he was my favourite, and tactically at times he was a genius.

‘He had that understanding whether to go into in-depth tactics or to trust the players to go out and deliver what he says in the team meeting.’

Alaba could be set for Premier League move

David Alaba could move to Stamford Bridge this summer after Sky Sports reported the full-back’s discussions with Bayern Munich on a new contract had reached a ‘crucial stage’.

The Austrian defender has spent the past 12 years at the German club but with negotiations on a new deal appearing to reach an impasse, he could be allowed to leave for a Premier League club this summer.

‘The versatile defender, who is entering the final year of his contract with Bayern, has been attracting a lot of interest from the Premier League,’ states the report.

‘Manchester City have already tried to lure Alaba this summer. However, their interest may have cooled as they had hoped to include the 28-year-old in their £55m deal with Bayern for Leroy Sane.

‘Two more Premier League clubs, reportedly Manchester United and Chelsea, are keen on the Austrian defender, who is expected to start Bayern's Champions League semi-final clash against Lyon in Lisbon on Wednesday.

‘Alaba has rejected the €15m-a-year deal Bayern have offered. The two sides remain poles apart, with Alaba keen to match the club's top earners including Manuel Neuer, Thomas Muller and Robert Lewandowski.’

Robben still working towards comeback

Arjen Robben has told FC Groningen’s official website he is feeling positive about his fitness as he prepares to return to football despite not being ready for their recent friendly against PEC Zwolle.

Having hung up his boots a year ago, the former Chelsea winger announced last month that he was coming out of retirement and had signed a one-year contract with his boyhood club in order to help them out amid the coronavirus pandemic.

He was expected to make his comeback against Zwolle but missed the 2-0 loss as he was feeling the effects of an intense week of training.

‘I want to get even fitter before I start competitions. I had a very good training week, where I was able to do things to 100 per cent,’ said the 36-year-old.

‘I'm really in a good position, but playing a match is completely different to training. After not having played football for a year, it is logical that you will experience some complaints.

‘That is part of the effort you make. The body responds to training, your body has to get used to it again. That is going well, but I thought it was still insufficient to play. I also want to feel 100 per cent that I am ready for competitions. For that, I want to complete more group training first.’

Groningen are scheduled to start their 2020-21 Eredivisie campaign on September 13 against PSV Eindhoven, another of Robben's former clubs.