Alonso on Fernandez, Colwill's class and a 'process' of improvement

Chelsea boss Xabi Alonso has been speaking to the media before Monday's Premier League game against Fulham at Craven Cottage (kick-off 20:00 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• On Enzo Fernandez, Alonso said: "He's training really well and I see him with a good attitude and that's what we want. He's trying his best to prepare for the kick off of the Premier League."
• Danny Welbeck has reduced training for a couple of days because of "a little thing" but could be available against Fulham.
• He is "very happy" with the current state of his squad as the summer transfer window nears its end.
• Alonso said Joao Pedro's development as a player and leader is "very noticeable every day".
• On Levi Colwill: "If he's feeling OK, for me, he's one of the best centre backs in the world because of his composure, his presence, so complete, so dominant. Levi is going to be a key player for us."
• He spoke of the importance of versatility of such players as Reece James: "Wherever he plays - as a right back, a midfielder - normally he makes the next thing better because of his quality, his game intelligence, his experience, his composure with the ball."
• On facing his friend, Fulham manager Alvaro Arbeloa, in the dugout: "Of course you can have a relationship, but once you're on the pitch, no friends, no past."
• He said it's too early to say whether top four is a must for his side: "The hunger to have success, the ambition to do well, to create good energy and spirit within the team, that's the first goal, because that helps you be more competitive and win games."
• On the challenge of the Premier League: "We are going to be improving game by game, I am sure that the team that starts the Premier League and the one that's in November, December, will be better because it's a process, everything takes time. But we feel that we have a good start and that's so important."
• Acknowledging that not competing in Europe gives his side more time to prepare for each Premier League game, Alonso said: "We need to prove that we use the time in the right way."
• Asked about managing a squad of 40 senior players amid reports that potentially outgoing players are training separately, Alonso said: "We manage well, with good group dynamics, whenever we need, we have different groups, and it's not been an issue at the moment."

Follow all of Thursday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

Got a question about Chelsea? Get in touch here and we'll seek answers from our experts