Rogers completed his switch from Aston Villa last week, signing a contract with the Blues until 2033.

Yet having helped England to a third-place finish at the FIFA World Cup earlier this month, he is not part of our pre-season tour of Australia and Asia. Rogers is instead enjoying some deserved downtime before he gets down to work at Cobham ahead of the new campaign.

His signing has pleased Alonso, though, with the Blues boss emphasising that Rogers' quality and adaptability will prove invaluable during the forthcoming campaign.

'For sure, it’s a great signing,' Alonso said in his pre-match press conference ahead of our first pre-season fixture against Western Sydney Wanderers, which can be viewed live on CFC+.

'In that position, we needed an important player and there were not many better options than Morgan Rogers. His signing means a lot for everyone and for the players that are already here.

'One of his best qualities is that he is flexible. He plays in that pocket position, close to the striker, close to our number ten – but he has also played on the right side even though he is more used to coming from the left.

'He feels he is enjoying his game, his flow, and I’m sure he will have good connections with the other players around him. If we get those connections right, that will be a great step forward in the quality of our game.'

Rogers arrives at Chelsea off the back of two-and-a-half impressive years at Aston Villa, in which he established himself as a senior international and won the UEFA Europa League.

He also knows full well the demands that come from Premier League football, having made 85 top-flight appearances during his time at Villa Park. It's why Alonso is confident Rogers will be able to quickly make his mark at Stamford Bridge.

'When we started talking, we wanted to build a competitive squad, and you need players who can have that almost-instant impact.

'I’m sure Morgan won’t need much time to adapt to the club, to the system, to his team-mates. The idea was that we wanted to get a top player: Morgan is one of them.'

That description is also befitting of Palmer, who has shared a friendship with Rogers since they played together for England as 14-year-olds.

And Alonso has an idea in mind as to how best to utilise the skills of his two England internationals in the Chelsea side.

He said: 'I have a plan, an idea, and I can see them linking really well. We need to have a good mix. If we get that balance right and those special players in the right positions with good control, then we will be more competitive with the ball and against the ball. We need to be good.

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