Chelsea’s attack will be exciting after Xabi Alonso hints at how he’ll use Morgan Rogers

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Xabi Alonso has been discussing Morgan Rogers ahead of Chelsea’s first pre-season game against Western Sydney Wanderers on Tuesday.

Following his £117m move from Aston Villa, the expectation is that Rogers will play on the left-hand side under Alonso.

It is a position that the 24-year-old played often in at Villa last season as he helped Unai Emery’s side to win the Europa League and qualify for the Champions League.

However, Alonso seems prepared to use Rogers in different roles during the 2026/27 campaign.

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Morgan Rogers’ versatility will give Chelsea more attacking combinations

In his pre-match press conference, Alonso described Rogers as “flexible” and told BBC Sport journalist Nizaar Kinsella and others that the England star will be a “key player” for Chelsea.

Alonso clearly appreciates Rogers’ versatility, and it looks like he is ready to fully utilise it.

There are a number of exciting attacking combinations Chelsea could use following Rogers’ arrival.

For example, if the former Villa man does start on the left as expected, Cole Palmer could then play in the middle while Estevao Willian operates on the right.

Being a natural attacking midfielder, Rogers could also play as the No.10 while being flanked by Palmer and Pedro Neto.

Some of Palmer’s best games have come on the right, while Neto playing on the left means he can cross the ball with his preferred foot and without having to cut inside.

Chelsea broke their transfer record to bring in Rogers so will want to get as much as they can out of their new signing. Utilising his versatility will help them do that.

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Chelsea were also interested in Bradley Barcola, who is a more natural winger than Rogers. However, it is the ex-Middlesbrough player who is set to be the Blues’ first-choice left-sided attacker in the upcoming season.

When he is not available, as well as Neto, Jamie Gittens will be another option for Alonso.