At 28 years of age Alex is all set to be the old man at the heart of the Chelsea defence when the pre-season games kick off tomorrow at Selhurst Park.

John Terry, Ashley Cole, Ricardo Carvalho, Paulo Ferreira and Branislav Ivanovic are all yet to return to training following World Cup action and Jose Bosingwa has yet to rejoin full training.

He is in the final stages of recovery from knee surgery so the likes of Michael Mancienne, Sam Hutchinson, Jeffrey Bruma, Patrick van Aanholt and Ryan Bertrand come into the frame for defensive positions alongside the Brazilian for the match at Crystal Palace.

Several possible combinations have been worked upon in training Alex reports.

'It is good to start the pre-season games after two weeks everyday with training,' he tells the Official Chelsea Website.

'We start with what I think is a difficult game and we don't have many of the other players here yet, but we have a good group with the reserve team coming in to play a part and it is important to win the first game of pre-season.

'It is good for us in training games because the young players never stop running,' he smiles. 'They are always up and down the pitch and it is good for your condition. You always have to pay attention.

'It has been good working together with players like Jeffrey and Michael Mancienne who are sometimes also as left back and right back.'

Alex as much as anyone is pleased to have joined the preparations from day one having seen this stage disrupted by injury the last two years.

'When I arrived here two weeks ago the doctors spent one training session with me in the morning but I felt good and I trained normally. I had a problem the last two pre-seasons but this season it's very good.

'I rested two months almost and now it is a double session each day but we need this for starting the season in one month.'

On his return he quickly had to grow used to a new team mate determined to test central defenders with the ball at his feet - Yossi Benayoun.

'He is a good man, he is experienced and I think he will help us this season. We need players of this quality,' Alex notes.

'He is difficult to mark when we do this in training - attackers v defenders - and I have to have more concentration in defence.'

He may have acquired a new Israeli colleague but Alex has lost a Brazilian one in Juliano Belletti who looks to have settled on a new club.

'I tried to call him when I saw the news two days ago. Fluminense is a big club in Rio de Janeiro with the best manager in Brazil. I hope Juliano does a good job there and wins the championship in Brazil.'