Our visitors from Yorkshire have proved to be challenging opposition in the final months of last season – and the first of this. They have lost just two of their past 16 games in all competitions, with one of those defeats coming against the Blues in April’s FA Cup semi-final.

Alonso knows what to expect from Daniel Farke’s disciplined, dogged outfit at Stamford Bridge tomorrow, and hopes the contest will provide another opportunity for his squad to learn and improve different aspects of their game while finding a way to win the tie.

‘We are expecting a very intense game, a very tough game, with many situations of duels, but we need to try to cope with that and find solutions,’ Alonso said.

‘The adaptation to the tempo of these games is very important for some players. Some players have already done it and the approach and profile of the squad we want, and the team we want, needs to cope with that as well.

‘We need everyone involved,' added Alonso. 'The more people you have involved in the team, and the more players feel part of playing minutes, the better it is for the level. So far, the dynamic is very, very good.

‘We want to compete as it’s the best way to win games. You need to adapt to compete and it comes in two ways: in the football way and in the spirit and mentality. In everything, we can get better.’

With seven goals conceded in our three Premier League games to date, Alonso knows one area that needs improvement is our defensive work.

The fact we emerged victorious from two of those matches is a source of comfort, however, and overall Alonso feels it has been a positive start to the new campaign.

‘We know that it’s going to be a long process, but you need to be assessing how things are going, and so far we can be happy,’ he said.

‘But we need to be self-demanding as well because we can do better. We can’t afford so much time to improve because we want to have clean sheets as soon as possible. That is going to be a focus in each game, but knowing that the competition is hard.

‘They (clean sheets) will come; I am 100 per cent sure they will come. We need to work, to improve the areas we can do better, and the other areas we are doing well, we need to emphasise those parts.

‘I am learning myself – from the players, from the team, from the opponents, from the Premier League – it’s part of our development, and it’s not close to the final product of this Chelsea. We have taken steps, but there are still a lot of steps to be taken.’