Mateo Kovacic addressed the media ahead of Chelsea's Champions League opener with Dinamo Zagreb on Tuesday.
The Croatian is returning to his former club, breaking into the Dinamo Zagreb team from their academy in 2010.
After a three year spell at the Croatian side, Kovacic departed for Inter Milan before making the move to Real Madrid, and then Chelsea.
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The midfielder has spent a spell on the sideline so far this seasons for Chelsea but could be handed a start by Thomas Tuchel as he travels to familiar territory.
Revealed: Chelsea's 23-man travelling squad to face Dinamo Zagreb for Champions League opener
The head coach previously nicknamed Chelsea's group as the Kovacic group, with Chelsea also facing AC Milan, a city Kovacic is familiar with.
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Tuchel joked: “I think we need to be fast with away tickets because the family of Mateo Kovacic is buying all that we have because it is in Austria, Croatia and his former city when he played for Inter and we are playing AC.
“I think he is buying all the tickets that are available so this is where the focus is for our players to get tickets for family and friends!"
Fittingly, Kovacic was chosen for media duties ahead of Tuesday's match and here is what he said.
On Dinamo Zagreb
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"It's really nice to be here. It is a really good feeling to be in Zagreb, see the people I haven't seen in a long time. I have only now realised how much of a long time it has been. I am looking forward to the match tomorrow in a full stadium. I am a Dinamo fan.
"I have very many family and friends coming here but I have been able to get tickets for them."
On fitness
“I’m getting better. I had some problems with my knee after national team and in pre-season. Was a tough pre-season for me. I have recovered and am getting better day by day. I need to get my sharpness and fitness back but games and training are there for it so I’m looking forward to being better every day.”
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On Josko Gvardiol
"They asked me about Josko and I had only the best opinion of him. Josko is a top quality player and people from Chelsea know that."
On Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
“I haven’t seen it yet in training because he trained yesterday with the team. He is a great player as we know. He’s scored goals everywhere. We are looking forward to having him in the squad. He will be a big addition to Chelsea.”
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On whether Aubameyang is the player Chelsea have missed
“It’s a difficult question. I can say that it will be a big addition to us. He’s a proper striker and goal scorer, which we miss in the last years. We haven’t had a goalscorer that scores 20 or 25 goals a season which you need to obviously win the title. We are looking forward to having him in our squad, he will be a big addition that’s for sure. He’s a proven goalscorer. For him that’s normal to score goals. I hope he will do it here at Chelsea.”
Topics: Chelsea, Mateo Kovacic, Champions League, Football
Nick Emms