The Blues returned to training at their Cobham base south-west of London this week but Alonso is already keenly anticipating his first trip Down Under.

Chelsea will play Tony Popovic's Perth Glory at Optus Stadium on Monday 23 July, before returning to Europe to complete their pre-season preparations.

"It's always exciting to play in new places and I hope we get to see what the city has to offer," Alonso told chelseafc.com.

"It's a great opportunity for us to see our fans from the other side of the world. We feel their support throughout the year but we know they can't always see us play.

"I have heard the stadium is really cool and maybe it won’t be as hot there as it has been in England! We hope to put on a good show for the fans. We have to take these games seriously."

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Chelsea won the FA Cup last season but endured an underwhelming campaign in the Premier League, surrendering their title and finishing 5th.

The club also suffered a heavy defeat to Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16, and will wear the badge of dishonour that is participating in the Europa League next season.

"Now we want to get back to the top level in the league after a not very good year, and pre-season is an important stage of that," Alonso told Chelseafc.com.

"We have got two weeks to get ourselves into shape and prepare for it (Perth Glory). The season starts now."

The friendly will be aired exclusively live on SBS from 9pm AEST on 23 July.