Palmer heads into the new season in a strong position after spending the summer working under Alonso from day one of pre-season at Cobham, and the Blues head coach is excited by what he has seen from the attacker ahead of our Premier League opener against Fulham on Monday night.

The 24-year-old has already established himself as one of the most influential attacking players in the division since arriving at Stamford Bridge, and Alonso believes the conditions are now in place for Palmer to enjoy another standout campaign.

‘Cole is determined to enjoy his football,’ said the Chelsea manager.

‘He wants to be fit. He wants to feel healthy. He wants to have a good connection with the players around him. And I've said that if we have this Cole and we are able to reach him and he feels that flow in the game and that he connects well with the players, I'm sure that his level is top-class, world-class I would say, and that he will have a great season.’

Those comments underline just how highly Alonso rates Palmer's ability, with the Spaniard confident the forward can reach the highest level when he is playing with freedom and confidence.

Palmer has spent the entirety of pre-season working alongside his new head coach and team-mates, and has returned to Cobham recharged after enjoying a full off-season for the first time in four years, due to international competitions for club and country.

With no international commitments during the summer, Palmer has been able to immerse himself fully in Alonso's methods from the outset, helping him build rhythm and understanding within the squad ahead of the campaign.

He has also been joined by one of his closest friends in football, Morgan Rogers, following the attacking midfielder's summer arrival from Aston Villa.

After seeing injuries interrupt his momentum at various stages last season, Alonso has been encouraged by Palmer's commitment to making sure those setbacks remain in the past.

The Chelsea manager believes the experience has ultimately helped the attacker grow and develop a stronger understanding of his body.

When asked if Cole's injury problems were behind him, Alonso replied: ‘Yes. I think that sometimes you need to go through a difficult moment with an injury or whatever to learn from that,’

'I think that Cole has gone through a difficult period with the injury, and now he's working really hard to have the prevention not to have to feel those symptoms.

‘Since the first day, he's been working really hard to avoid that.’

Chelsea begin the Premier League season away to Fulham, and supporters can follow all the action live in our Match Centre on the Chelsea Official App and website, where you'll find minute-by-minute updates and live audio commentary.

Fans can also experience the matchday through the new Chelsea Official App, where we will have an ongoing story from Craven Cottage.