“If he [Rooney] is part of our team I will welcome him with open arms,” said Lukaku. “You know when you are playing for a team like Chelsea there is going to be competition. I like competition.”
Asked if he and Rooney could make a good partnership, Lukaku said: “Obviously, but it is the manager’s choice. You have to accept that you have to work hard to make it a successful squad.”
That hard work has involved Lukaku working with Mourinho over these past two weeks on holding the ball up and using it effectively in restricted spaces.
"I feel I am making an impact,” he said.
"I can score more goals, I can get more assists. I can do more for the team. I can score with both feet and with my head, I am very quick and skilful. I can do a bit of everything but I can improve on things as well.
"He is the manager and he has a vision of the way he wants to play. The players have to improve to do that. I certainly have it in me. He is a great manager. He is very direct – and I love that. I would not say he has given me a hard time but he is very direct and in your face."
Although his priority has been working on the players’ fitness over these past two weeks, Mourinho is already beginning to implement the system he wants to play.
He says that his team selection will also be fluid according to the opposition and particular circumstances, as well as the fixture schedule.
“The players that go for their national teams two days before the opening of the Premier League, it depends a lot on that,” Mourinho said.
“They [the Spanish] have to go to Ecuador and come back in London on Saturday without having slept. I don’t think they are going to play on Sunday. The team will be decided game after game and week after week.”
Another complication is that Chelsea are likely to start the season with two matches in four days, with discussions ongoing about bringing forward the match against Aston Villa to Wednesday, Aug 21.
It is currently scheduled for the weekend of the European Super Cup game in Prague between Chelsea and Bayern Munich on Aug 30. Mourinho has also made decisions about which of the younger players will form part of his first-team squad.
Nathaniel Chalobah, Josh McEachran and Lucas Piazon will all be sent on loan next season, although there were particular words of praise for Chalobah.
“For sure, a Chelsea player,” said Mourinho. “He could be in our squad already. But we think one more season and it will be his last one out on loan. He is very, very good.”
Brazilian defender Wallace and Bertrand Traoré are also likely to go on loan until they receive their work permits, while Islam Feruz will return to the under-21 squad.
Czech defender Tomas Kalas, however, will remain with the first-team squad and will be competing with John Terry, David Luiz and Gary Cahill to start at centre-back.
“It was the first day of training when Mr Mourinho came to me and asked me if I would accept the challenge to be a first-team player and give it everything and, of course, I accepted,” said Kalas.
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