Chelsea have endured a difficult summer and the recent loss of Nemanja Matic to Manchester United has once again raised questions about the Blues’ transfer policy, as a wealth of summer departures have left Antonio Conte’s side looking relatively slim.

The Italian boss is desperate to add new faces to his squad before the transfer window closes at the end of the month, having already captured Willy Caballero, Tiemoue Bakayoko, Antonio Rudiger and Alvaro Morata.

The Blues endured a difficult pre-season, which included defeats to Bayern Munich and Inter Milan, and are now preparing for the Community Shield clash with Arsenal this weekend, before commencing their title defence a week later when the Premier League returns.

Whilst question marks continue to surround Chelsea, Blues goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has assured fans there’s nothing to worry about and has insisted is side will be ready for the new season. Speaking to the club’s official website, he said:

“I think the performance [against Inter] was okay. In the first half both teams had a lot of possession. They had an early chance and I made a save but just before half-time the referee saw a penalty where there wasn’t one.”

“We didn’t start the second half well, I made a good save and as we were pushing for a goal they hit us on the counter attack. It was a bit like the Bayern game, with us conceding goals on the break so we need to work on that.”

“Against Bayern it was a bit frustrating, I was a bit annoyed because I felt I could have done better with Rafinha’s goal but I’ve been working hard in training all week so for me personally it was good and I feel I’m ready for the season.”

“Some players like Antonio Rudiger only joined recently and he was away at the Confederations Cup with Germany. I don’t think he lost a lot of fitness but he might need a little bit more work, we will all be ready for the season though.”

Chelsea will face an immediate battle when the Premier League returns as their fixtures before October include huge clashes with Tottenham, Arsenal and Manchester City, as well as testing games against Everton and Stoke.