With James set for a spell on the sidelines after undergoing successful minor knee surgery, Alonso explained that Moises Caicedo or Levi Colwill, who wore the armband against Bournemouth last time out, are among those likely to skipper the side in the weeks ahead.

Yet irrespective of who walks the team out on matchday, the Blues manager wants all his players to show leadership qualities throughout the week, on and off the pitch.

He knows that is an important ingredient of teams achieving collective success; it should not just be down to one individual to lead the way.

‘You can be a captain without the armband,’ said Alonso.

‘Once you wear it, you have to be proud and take that responsibility. We have Moi, we have Levi, we have players that take that responsibility and perform the role in a perfect way. They have the support from the rest who see them with the armband, and it’s no problem.

‘But as well, having that leadership without the armband is important. That's why we have the ones that they need to pull from the rest, not just on matchday, even during the week, they need to deal with that.’

Alonso then expanded on the significance of a squad showcasing a breadth of leadership qualities depending on factors such as their experience in their game and their time at Chelsea.

‘Each one is different, and they bring their own personality,’ said Alonso. ‘Levi is different from Reece, Moi is different, Cole (Palmer), (Jordan) Hendo, Emi (Martinez), each one is different.

‘That's why it's so important for me to have a good mix of personalities, of qualities, of stages of their career so that they can help - and we are in a good place in that way.’