The full transcript from Xabi Alonso's latest press conference after the Chelsea manager previewed his side's Premier League showdown with Tottenham on Saturday evening

Xabi Alonso has taken his pre-match press conference ahead of Chelsea's clash with Tottenham on Saturday evening.

The Blues welcome Spurs to Stamford Bridge this weekend with Alonso's side looking for their third win on the bounce in the Premier League. Meanwhile, Tottenham are looking to build some momentum following their long-awaited first win of the season at home to Coventry City earlier in the week.

Chelsea picked up their first league clean sheet in nine months thanks to their 2-0 win away at Everton last weekend and Alonso will be hoping for such solidity from his players again. Alonso, however, will have to do that without Emiliano Martinez, whose injury the Chelsea manager detailed in his latest press conference.

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Below is the full transcript from Alonso's latest presser.

How is Emi Martinez?

He's doing better. He had the surgery. Day by day, he's feeling better, but we still need to wait.

How long until he's back playing?

Few weeks, few weeks. Hopefully less than more, but we need to wait. The good thing is that he's feeling better. He wants to listen to his feelings, the opinion of the doctors, the specialists, the surgeons. Considering it was a bad one, he's been good.

How are Malo Gusto and Pep Chavarria?

Malo is fine, and Pep is still training a little bit more but he's not going to make it.

Mike Penders is now Chelsea's youngest ever Premier League goalkeeper. How big of an opportunity does he have ahead of him over the next few weeks?

He's ready. He's been training well. He's played a couple of cup games where he showed that he has a good level, even the day when he came on against Everton, in a few minutes he showed his personality, his qualities. That's why we have a squad to be ready for these kinds of situations and we are fully convinced that Mike can play very well.

Was there a reason why you didn't think he was the best option at the start of this season?

We wanted to have the best possible options and once we decided that we would go for Emi, I think we have a good balance. I think Mike is our keeper for now and for the future. Having the support, learning with an experienced goalkeeper like Emi, he's having a great impact on the team and on Mike and looking forward to the next game. We are happy with his preparation.

Do you feel there are similarities between Mike and Thibaut Courtois, who you've worked with as well?

A lot. There are a lot, not just for the nationality, for the stature. Both left-footed, both dominant on the air. I spoke with Thibaut as well when he was in the World Cup, asking about Mike and he even said to himself that he could see resemblances with Mike. We need to help him, support him, but for sure he's a keeper for present and for the future.

You spoke to your old friend Jamie Carragher earlier this week and you said that the Chelsea you are now and the Chelsea you will be in May will be different. What is the long-term vision for what this team is going to look like?

I know that it will be different, but to tell you how it's going to be, it's difficult. We go almost game by week. Our side is in a very short period of time. Now, for mine, it's almost just until Sunderland, until this international break. We have three Premier League games, one cup game, so that's my focus. But knowing that along the way there will be good things, other things that we have done well, we have corrected, and still many more things to discover on this long journey that we have in this first year.

You've only ever witnessed the Chelsea-Spurs rivalry as an outsider. It means a huge amount to both clubs, both fan bases. How much are you looking forward to now being a part of it?

Very much. Every derby is special. You feel the energy, you feel the excitement from the stands. We need that energy to be used on the pitch, because that will connect well and we know that can be a boost. We need to have a good mentality for that. We need to have good emotional control as well, because in the derbies there's a lot of passion, there's a lot of commitment from both sides. Play football with heart, this is what we want.

How key will the battle in the midfield be tomorrow?

Every game. The midfield is a key part of the game. We have been stronger in the last few games, they have a good midfield as well. We need a very complete game, offensively, defensively, mentality-wise. We're going through difficult moments, because there will be moments for everything, but we are in a good momentum and we want to follow up.

You faced Roberto De Zerbi a couple of times before as Real Madrid manager and pre-season this summer as well. What do you make of him as a manager and the way he likes his teams to play?

He has very clear ideas. I think that pre-season is starting and that they follow up what they did last year in a difficult situation, but still early days. So many things to play in this season, but many of the framework, that's the way he likes to play his teams and we will see tomorrow.

Are you aware of Chelsea's ridiculous record against Tottenham? I think it's one defeat in all competitions at home in 41 games. Does that give you a psychological edge?

I knew about it, but tomorrow is another game. Last week you asked me about another data that we broke. That means nothing, so we need to prove again that we can continue that run and knowing that it's a special game. So we need to play with heart, with the head, with heart, intelligence, passionate energy. So we need many things more.

Will we see a different Spurs tomorrow?

I have seen a good Spurs, I have seen a good team, even in bad results. So we are expecting a tough game against a good opposition. They do many good things. We need to be well prepared with the ball, what to do in different momentums. It's still game seven, this is going to be game eight I think. So early days for everything.

You've had a couple of weeks without mid-week games. How beneficial has that been, especially defensively?

For everything, we have more time, you can focus more on the game in advance, preparing things, working on specifics, working on general things. We are using the time and that's been good.

You've now got Tottenham, Liverpool, Manchester United in a week. How big a challenge is that?

No, this happens in Premier League, this is nothing new. It was a matter of time that we were going to have big games and this week is going to be three massive games against top clubs. So step by step, we start for tomorrow.

Is Emmanuel Emegha fit?

He's feeling better, but we need to wait.

How are you finding the man-management side of things? Because there are a few players not playing many minutes...

Yes, as I've said, there will be moments for everyone, for sure. I understand when they are disappointed after not playing for a few games. This is normal, it's not rocket science to understand that this is going to happen. How to deal with them? They need to feel that they will be important at some stage, that they need to be ready. Because this is what it takes, the professional and the elite football. Whenever you are given the chance, you need to show that you are for that. They are training well, we have a good dynamic every day. In any circumstance, I am confident that whoever has to play will be ready for that.

Do you pull them to one side? Have you pulled them to one side and told them that yourselves?

Yes, I do a lot of talking with the team, individually, with the units. Sometimes you need to explain things, sometimes you need to take a bit more distance.

Was part of the reasoning behind bringing in Emi Martinez in the first place that the club wanted that kind of established senior goalkeeper figure for the next year, two years, until Mike Penders is ready?

Well, that's a question that earlier I replied before Brighton game, a few weeks ago. Again, we considered that it was a position that we could improve. We could improve with a goalkeeper of the stature of Dibu [Martinez], that he could change his club and we took the decision. It was not an easy one that you have to take, when it's such an important one to take in a special position as a goalkeeper. But we checked, we analysed and we decided that it was the right one. It had to be taken and we are happy with that.

Is there an expectation for Emi to play a kind of mentorship role?

That happens in a very natural way. It's not that, Dibu, you have to be the mentor and you have this certificate. No, it's much more, this happens naturally, spontaneously, every day, because Emi likes to talk not just with the other goalkeepers, with the defenders as well. He's very communicative, he needs to have this sense that they are close and it's happening.