Jamie Gittens says he is feeling fit and confident ahead of his second season at Chelsea, with the attacker targeting individual and collective progress and success in 2026/27.
Gittens arrived from Borussia Dortmund last summer but his maiden campaign in blue did not go to plan. A hamstring injury restricted him to 27 appearances in all competitions – of which 12 were starts – and none after January.
The 21-year-old worked hard on his recovery, including training regularly during his summer holidays to help get into top shape for the start of pre-season. He believes that graft in the past few months has paid off.
‘It was a real challenge at the start because it was the first muscle injury I have had,’ said Gittens.
‘It was hard for me, but hopefully I can look back and tell myself that I’ve done well in this situation. I’m feeling much better now. I’m feeling more confident. My hamstring is good.
‘I have to keep going now, keep pushing myself, get more minutes in the legs, train myself to the maximum so hopefully I can have a good season.
‘I just want to show everyone what I can do. I’ve just shown glimpses so far, I would say, so my objective is to keep getting better, keep working on myself, then this season will be a good one.’
Gittens’ positive feelings ahead of the 2026/27 campaign have been heightened by the appointment of Xabi Alonso. He is clearly loving working with our new manager.
‘He was a top player, and he’s obviously a top coach. For him to come in and teach us, it’s the best thing for us to improve as a team.
‘He’s a very nice guy. He talks to us individually, speaks to us about what we can improve on, what we can do better.
‘He’s told me to just keep being positive, to keep taking on players, keep on creating chances, and to keep on pushing myself to the maximum.’
Mix the quality of Alonso’s management with the hungry and talented players at his disposal and you have all the ingredients required for a winning formula.
With that in mind, Gittens is determined to help the Blues significantly improve on last season’s showing and be challenging for honours once again.
‘The mood in the camp is very positive,’ he said.
‘Everyone’s looking forward to the new season, to be better, and to succeed. We want to win everything. That's our ambition: to win the Premier League, to win every cup.
‘Our quality is there for sure. As a team, we've got great individuals on the pitch who can do amazing things, but we've got to try to put it all together.
‘Right now everyone's just got to keep working hard and keep showing the gaffer what we are made of.’