Christopher Nkunku is raring to go.

It’s a gorgeous day at Cobham and another hard session under Enzo Maresca is done and dusted. The Frenchman is in fine spirits; jovial and engaged. There is a sense that his time to shine is coming.

The forward’s first season as a Chelsea player didn’t go as planned, but there were signs toward the end of Nkunku’s undoubted ability.

His target now is showcasing his skills over a period of months, not weeks, by avoiding the injury setbacks that hampered his 2023/24 campaign. He believes he is on the right path to doing just that.

‘I am feeling better after the difficult season last year. I am feeling better,’ he repeats for emphasis.

‘I had a nice break during the summer. I needed it. I worked a little bit before coming here, but it was important for me to break after this year, for my head also. It was good.

‘Now I am working in every training session to stay fit and to go forward in a good way. Pre-season is very good and the team is good. We are practicing the hard work to be fresh and ready to play some friendly games.’

That work is being undertaken under our new head coach Enzo Maresca. The Italian’s footballing philosophy has already made a sizeable impression on Nkunku, who scored three goals in 439 minutes of Premier League football last term.

‘The new head coach brings very good ideas to play,’ says the 26-year-old. ‘We are all happy to practice every training with him. Now it is just the beginning. We need to learn and to fix in every training the way he wants us to play.

'We are on this way to learn. If everybody has the idea of the coach to play, we will produce good football this year.'

Nkunku adds: ‘We are playing with the ball already a lot. As he told us the first day, he wants us to be on the pitch to practice football training directly. His idea is to keep the ball, so we are practicing that now.’

Allied to the work being done with the ball on the grass is plenty of graft in the gym. Nkunku knows the physical activations done prior to training are vital in staving off injury and getting the blood flowing before the football starts.

This preparation is a part of the process Nkunku enjoys – and he is determined to have better luck with injury this time around.

The next focus for Nkunku and his Chelsea team-mates is our USA Tour. The Frenchman shone in the States last summer, scoring three goals and displaying impressive movement and link-up play.

And he knows the value of such trips, on and off the pitch. ‘It’s the time for us to know each other more, to be every day together, to train together, to spend some time together,’ says Nkunku.

‘It’s also important to have some friendly games, to have more minutes in the body to be fresh for the start of the season, and to see our fans. I am looking forward to it.’

And how those Chelsea fans are looking forward to seeing Nkunku fit and firing once again.

• You can watch the Blues' USA Tour in style this summer...