The attacking trio are looking forward to returning to home comforts as our pre-season preparations step up a notch with the visit of the Italian champions.

The fixture is our final test before the Premier League campaign gets underway a week later – and Sterling is under no illusion as to how significant an afternoon it could be in SW6.

• General admission tickets for Sunday’s game are sold out, but Club Chelsea have availability starting from £60 for adults and £40 for juniors.

‘It’s important to build a positive relationship between the team and the supporters at our home ground,’ Sterling stated.

‘It’s up to us as the players to drive them to that place. The Inter game is a really good one to try and deliver a good performance and get the fans ready for the season.’

That sentiment is echoed by Nkunku, one of the star performers on our U.S. tour.

The Frenchman had a frustrating first year in blue due to injury but is focused on kickstarting his Chelsea career this time around, and that begins with Sunday’s enticing encounter at the Bridge.

‘It’s good to play a game before the season starts in our stadium,’ he says. ‘We didn’t do this last year, we just played in America.

‘It’s important to feel the excitement of the fans, to be ready for the next week after against City, and also to share moments with our fans.’

Mudryk, meanwhile, has recent experience of taking on the Italian giants, having come up against them in the 2021/22 Champions League group stages while at Shakhtar Donetsk.

Inter reached the final of that competition the following season and come into this contest as the best in Italy.

‘I played against them and they were such a good team,’ the Ukraine international acknowledges. ‘They always know what they want and they are very good.

‘It’s always exciting to play in front of our fans. I really enjoy this level of support and it’s going to be cool to play again in front of them.’