Bridge and Crespo give Mourinho early boost

CHELSEA manager Jose Mourinho welcomed his team of Premiership champions back to training yesterday and was boosted by the return to fitness of left-back Wayne Bridge.

Bridge, who missed the latter part of the season with a broken ankle, is almost back to 100% as the players reported back for pre-season training at their complex in Cobham, Surrey.

Among them were new their signings £8million Asier del Horno, teenage sensation Jonas Elmer from Grasshopper Zurich and striker Carlton Cole, back from his loan spell with Aston Villa.

Hernan Crespo, who is also returning after a season on loan with AC Milan, has been given extra time off along with Didier Drogba, Robert Huth, Geremi and Claude Makelele.

Drogba, Huth and Geremi all played internationals in the summer, while Makelele was granted an extension to his holiday period because of his advancing years.

Mourinho split the players into two groups and each group spent half the day undergoing medical tests and the other half training.

The Portuguese coach said: "It's great to be back and see my players again, it's good to be on the pitch and working with them.

"Now is time to work and prepare the team for the opening day, looking to friendlies as a way to improve.

"Del Horno is welcome, and now he needs to improve his English, so he can enjoy better communication off the pitch. On the pitch there is a universal language and he has already shown in the first session how good he is."

Chelsea are expected to confirm that Crespo is to return to the club after his extended holiday.

Unless a last-minute deal between Milan and the Blues can be thrashed out, then he will spend next season among Mourinho's squad.

Chelsea may now abandon their search for a new striker with Crespo and Cole back in the fold.

Milan have now swooped to sign Christian Vieri on a free transfer from neighbours Inter and Crespo has accepted the fact that he will be returning to Chelsea next term.

However, AC Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani claims Chelsea had no intention of extending Crespo's loan spell at the San Siro.

Delight at the acquisition of Vieri has been tempered, however, by the loss of Crespo. Galliani said: "The negotiations with Chelsea have had too many obstacles and nothing was ever completed.

"This was certainly not my fault, the transfer market has certain rules that apply and you cannot lose time.

"Chelsea have no intention of letting Crespo leave their club. We waited until the meeting between Crespo's agent Fernando Hidalgo and Chelsea's chief executive Peter Kenyon but unfortunately once again we found ourselves without a conclusion.

"I am saddened for Hernan. But we simply couldn't take the risk of losing precious time because otherwise any other club could have tried to get Vieri and we couldn't take that risk.

"When it became clear that the Crespo deal was a no-go, I decided to act quickly and with Vieri we have completed our attacking line-up."

Crespo is currently holidaying in Sardinia but is resigned to returning to London: "Until my agent calls me to tell me my future destination I will stay here.

"Ten days ago I said that the optimism was fading away and as time went by, I knew that it would have been very difficult for me to remain in Milan."

Chelsea are also poised to move in with a firm bid for Manchester City's Shaun Wright-Phillips after missing out on Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard.

Chelsea are likely to bid around £18m, but that will not be enough and City will demand at least £22m.