Chelsea defender Axel Disasi attracting interest from France and Italy as he weighs up future at the club

Chelsea defender Axel Disasi is attracting interest from France and Italy as he considers his future.

The 25-year-old joined from Monaco a year ago for £38.5m but is now one of five centre-backs at Chelsea.

Disasi was named in the Blues squad for the first time this pre-season for Sunday's 1-1 draw with Inter Milan but remained an unused substitute.

He had previously been recovering from hernia surgery, which he underwent earlier in the summer.

Speaking ahead of the game, he said: ‘I am back on the pitch, not fully, but I’m close.

‘I am feeling good. There is some strength that I lost from my injury that I have to get back, but I hope I will be fit very soon.

‘You won’t see the injured players in full training but we are still working very hard on our side. We do particular stuff. Sometimes I do stuff a defender has to do in relation to the way the manager wants to play, so when I come back with the team, I’m not lost.

‘I have done two or three sessions with the team now, and he showed me the way he wants us to play from the back,’ Disasi added of his integration into Enzo Maresca’s style of play. It is part of the reason he joined the group for their US tour.

‘The idea of the coach is very clear; I think I will learn very quickly,' he added. 'He wants to hold on to the football with a lot of possession and these are the things I like. I am completely ready to do this, and I will enjoy playing in this way.’

‘I am coming back with the team, not fully, but we will see how my body reacts, and of course, if I feel ready I will be ready to play.

‘It’s been a long time since we played at home and I miss the feeling of playing at the Bridge. The atmosphere with the fans is top. I will work hard to be able to play in front of my fans because I care about them and love playing in front of them.

'The expectation is big this season and we want to do a great job to show we deserve the love they give to us.'