Chelsea midfielder Jon Obi Mikel has declared that he is happy with the progress being made during the club's pre-season preparations.

The Blues are currently on tour in North America and have lost their last two friendlies, to AC Milan and the MLS All Stars respectively.

Mikel believes that despite the defeats Chelsea are making good progress and will be ready for the start of the season.

He told the club's official website: "It was not the result we would have wanted but there are positives we can take and try to build on it.

"We didn't create many chances, but there were opportunities and maybe we were just one pass or one run short, so we are getting closer to how we want to be, and if we can keep doing what we are doing we will start to open teams up and improve our play."

The 25-year-old will hope to be a crucial part of Roberto Di Matteo's plans in his first full season in charge, beginning with a league opener at Wigan Athletic on August 19.

Written by
Liam Power