Chelsea’s nomadic pre-season travels bring them to Hong Kong on Wednesday, where Xabi Alonso’s recovering side face a mighty Juventus at Kai Tak Sports Park. The engagement kicks off at 12.30 pm UK time, and the Blues will be desperate to exorcise the memory of Saturday’s chastening match against Tottenham in Sydney.
Supporters in the UK will not be able to watch the fixture on traditional television channels, but Chelsea said the encounter will be available only via a CFC+ subscription on the club’s official app and website. It will also stream on Juventus’ website and on FanCode in India.
The return of a host of stars has eased Alonso’s selection headaches considerably. Robert Sanchez is over the minor niggle that ruled him out of the Tottenham game, and Mike Penders is back in the fold after his World Cup-related sabbatical. Similarly, Moises Caicedo and Nicolas Jackson, both of whom have been granted extended leave, are available for meaningful minutes.
Danny Welbeck could make his bow after his move from Brighton. Geovany Quenda has recovered from the knock that kept him at Cobham. Cole Palmer and Levi Colwill, however, are real fitness concerns: the former is doing some individual work, the latter is not training at all. Morgan Rogers and Jordan Henderson are still out after their lengthy World Cup commitments, with the latter suffering a broken arm.
Meanwhile Juventus come in far more imperious form than their illustrious opponents. Spalletti’s side have seen three pre-season fixtures go without conceding, drawing with Basel before beating Standard Liege and Nice. Arkadiusz Milik should spearhead the attack with Dusan Vlahovic departing when his deal ran out, but both Khephren Thuram and Jeff Ekhator are unavailable.
Projected Chelsea XI (4-2-3-1): Penders; Palestra, Fofana, Tosin, Hato; Lavia, Caicedo; Quenda, Walsh, Gittens; Joao Pedro
Mudryk’s Redemption Homecoming at Chelsea
Aside from the tactical reshuffle, there is the unlikely revival of Mykhailo Mudryk in the Far East. The Ukrainian has been included in the travelling party after his ban ended, and Alonso has hinted selection is very much on the cards.
Mudryk last appeared for the club in November 2024, a night that ended in victory before his professional life unravelled. He was faced with a provisional suspension when a routine doping test returned an adverse finding, protesting his innocence for twenty torturous months on the periphery.
He appealed against the four-year ban at the Court of Arbitration for Sport. The reprieve finally came in the form of amendments to WADA’s technical documentation, with the FA admitting that an identical sample taken today would not have broken the required threshold.
Alonso, though, has warned that 90 minutes is still unlikely for the footballer, who turned up at the team hotel straight from the airport.