Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel is counting on a staggered return for preseason.

The Blues head to the USA in July for friendlies in Las Vegas, Charlotte and Orlando, with the German coach hopeful that he will have a full squad available for the transatlantic tour prior to the Premier League curtain-raiser on 5 August.

"The plan is if they play for their national teams, they will come back one week later than the rest on 9 July," he explained.

"Hopefully we can do this and have everybody for the pre-season because it's a pre-season where you have at least four weeks together and not a lot of groups are coming at different timings.

"It's more or less two groups and then we have to be quick to adapt to the qualities and the personalities of any new guys."