Alonso's start date revealed

[Getty Images] Chelsea have confirmed they will begin pre-season under new manager Xabi Alonso next Thursday. It marks the start of Alonso's tenure, although the Spaniard has yet to arrive at Cobham. Some of the club's new signings, including Dastan Satpaev from Kairat and Geovany Quenda from Sporting, have already begun preparations as have Chelsea's academy players. Some academy players — including Shim Mheuka and Reggie Walsh, both of whom have featured for the first team — could have some involvement in the club's pre-season tour of Australasia. There are three weeks of work under Alonso at the training ground, who is also expected to be unveiled at a news conference at Stamford Bridge, before the squad flies to Sydney for the start of the tour. Players not involved at the World Cup, including player of the season Joao Pedro and Cole Palmer, are expected to report from day one after not being selected for their national teams. However, the eight players involved in Fifa's tournament in North America will return in stages after a short holidays in between seasons. Chelsea's pre-season fixtures include matches against Western Sydney Wanderers and Tottenham in Australia, followed by games against Juventus in Hong Kong, AC Milan in Indonesia and Johor Darul Ta'zim in Malaysia. The squad will then return to London to prepare for their Premier League opener away to Fulham, which will mark the beginning of the Alonso era.