Chelsea and Juventus clash in the Herbalgy Trophy at Hong Kong’s Kai Tak Stadium on Wednesday evening, and the organisers have ensured there will be no possibility of a draw. If the two European heavyweights are still locked together after ninety minutes, the game will go straight to penalties without going into extra-time. There is even a designated hydration break incorporated into the proceedings, an eminently sensible concession to the oppressive humidity that envelops Hong Kong throughout August.
This is hardly a format without precedent at this particular festival. Inter Milan were held 1-1 by Manchester City at the same venue before winning 3-1 in the shootout, with Enzo Maresca in charge of the Citizens for the first time.
Xabi Alonso’s rebuilding project comes to Asia with conspicuously mixed evidence. Chelsea spent a week in Sydney, overwhelming Western Sydney Wanderers in a ten-goal spectacle before falling to Tottenham. They finished a turbulent 2025-26 campaign in tenth place, having sacked two managers.
Meanwhile, Luciano Spalletti’s Juventus remain miserly. The Old Lady have yet to concede in preseason, drawing with Basel on 18 July before edging Standard Liege and dispatching Nice 2-0. The two clubs, Chelsea and Juventus, have faced each other six times, only in the Champions League, and are level with two wins apiece. It is their first meeting in almost five years on Wednesday.
Mykhailo Mudryk Could Feature Against Juventus After Suspension Was Rescinded
Mykhailo Mudryk, who had his ban overturned days ago, is eligible for consideration in Hong Kong. The Ukrainian was banned for four years after failing a 2024 test but appealed and was allowed to restart his career on Friday. Alonso confirmed on Tuesday that the 25-year-old could indeed be chosen, but warned that asking him to play a full ninety minutes at present was too ambitious.
The resolution was the result of an unusual regulatory quirk, not an exoneration. The ban followed a positive test for a low concentration of meldonium and temporary rule changes mean an identical finding would now result in no charges at all. Chelsea have therefore taken a measured stance, with Alonso pointing out that no decision has been made on a loan or permanent exit and that the club must proceed with caution given the unusual situation.
The winger participated in an open session at Kai Tak on Tuesday evening and was met with a thunderous reception from supporters when he found the net during a drill. But twenty months of enforced idleness cannot be repaired by private conditioning alone, however conscientiously that work was done. He will therefore be reintroduced gradually, and any cameo appearance against Spalletti’s defence will only be a hint of a far longer restoration.