Thibaut Courtois has called on Chelsea’s serial winners to lead the dressing room through their changing of the guard, writes Darren Lewis in Singapore.

The defending Premier League champions flew home from their Asia Tour in the early hours of Sunday, having been beaten in two of its three matches.

Boss Antonio Conte has had his call for more reinforcements — on top of the around £130million already spent — emphasised by the ease with which Bayern Munich and Inter Milan beat his side in Singapore.

With John Terry and Branislav Ivanovic becoming the last of the club's old guard to leave this year, keeper Courtois believes it is time for a new breed of leaders to defy recent history and take the Blues into a new era.

Courtois will have more of a leadership role in his fourth season as Chelsea's keeper (
Image:
Chelsea FC via Getty)

With Arsenal to come in the Community Shield at Wembley next Sunday, he said: “We lost somebody important last year with Ivanovic and this summer with John Terry.

“So everybody has to step up. Especially the players with the most experience.

“We have a team with a lot of guys that have won a lot, like Cesc Fabregas, Pedro, David Luiz, even Gary [Cahill], who has won a lot already. He is captain.”

Courtois is part of the Chelsea senior players’ committee with skipper Cahill and vice-captain Cesar Azpilicueta.

He added: “Obviously Gary and Azpi are the two captains now. I think some players look to me now. I am part of the players’ committee as well. So for some things they will look to me.

The Blues need players to step up after the exits of Terry and Ivanovic ended an era (
Image:
AFP/Getty)

“For some things they will look to the captain. But obviously, me, I have to show my responsibilities on the pitch and off the pitch. I think everybody will put their piece in and hope that as a team we have a great year again.”

Conte fears the curse of the title winners - which has seen both Leicester and Chelsea flop the year after winning the league - could strike again.

Two seasons ago, defending champions Chelsea finished just 10th — the first time they had finished out of Europe in the Roman Abramovich era — after firing Jose Mourinho in the December.

And Claudio Ranieri’s title fairytale at Leicester had a nightmare ending this past February when, like Mourinho, he was sacked.

The last time Chelsea were champions, they sacked their manager before Christmas (
Image:
Getty)

The Foxes eased their relegation fears under Craig Shakespeare and ended up 12th, but Courtois says a repeat of such mid-table mediocrity is not be an option for Chelsea.

He added: “For Leicester last year... obviously the year they were champions was extraordinary for them. The year before they had struggled until the last week to avoid relegation. So for them it was maybe not bad to finish 12th.

“But for us, our aim is to fight for a title until the last day of the season and, if not, to be as high as possible. But obviously with Champions League football.

“Two years ago, we didn’t start well. So I think a good start helps to keep that level throughout the season.”

Ranieri was axed by Leicester less than a year after delivering shock title win (
Image:
Action Images via Reuters)

Arsenal striker Alexis Sanchez is set to miss the Community Shield.

He has had flu and is yet to return to pre-season training after playing for Chile in this summer's Confederations Cup.

Courtois was left fuming after Sanchez inspired the Gunners’ surprise FA Cup final win in May with a goal that should have been disallowed for handball.

He is pleased at the prospect of the Gunners' top attacker missing the game - but warned his team-mates not to underestimate Arsenal a second time, despite the Blues 3-0 friendly win over them in Beijing, China just last weekend.

“Alexis is a guy with a lot of quality.” he said. “If you see all the games from last season, there was a lot of danger coming from him. He has a very strong shot, he is quick, he has the technique.

Arsenal's first FA Cup final goal is still a sore point with Chelsea fans (
Image:
Arsenal FC via Getty)

"He is important for them, but Arsenal have a lot of players with quality. They will miss him, but I think they have a lot of players with that quality to replace him.

"I’d prefer if he doesn’t play than if he plays, because he is a good player! But we cannot only look to him.

“In the final they missed some defenders and everybody thought they would be bad. But, for example, Per Mertesacker [in his first appearance all season] played a great game that day. So you cannot look to the team as one player or another player.

"It will be a difficult game regardless — but I hope for the same outcome as the friendly last week."

poll loading

Who will win the Community Shield?

13000+ VOTES SO FAR