Essien joins Chelsea pre-season trip to Asia

Ghana international midfielder Michael Essien is among the Chelsea squad has left the UK for Asia to begin the Blues 2013 pre-season campaign in Asia.

The 30-year-old rejoined the Blues training at Cobham last Monday and fly out with the Chelsea squad Thursday evening.

Essien who played last season at Real Madrid is beginning his eighth pre-season at Chelsea, and all three new signings will be there in Asia – Andre Schurrle, Marco van Ginkel and Mark Schwarzer.

He tweeted just before the Blues squad lifted from the UK on Thursday evening.