Chelsea handed double injury boost before AC Milan clash
Chelsea have been handed encouraging news over Cole Palmer and Levi Colwill after Xabi Alonso played down concerns surrounding the pair following their absence against Juventus.
Neither player featured in Wednesday’s 1-0 defeat in Hong Kong, prompting concern with the start of the Premier League season drawing closer.
Alonso has now confirmed that both issues are minor. FotMob reports the Chelsea head coach said Palmer had suffered a contact injury, while Colwill was also dealing with discomfort, but stressed there was no reason for major concern.
Chelsea will continue to assess both players day by day rather than take unnecessary risks during pre-season.
🚨 Xabi Alonso on Colwill and Palmer:
“They had a few discomforts.
“Cole with a whack [against Spurs] and Levi as well, so no point to take today’s risk and hopefully they will be fine for Saturday.”#CFC pic.twitter.com/7NlHSre7WN
— ChelseaReport (@chelsreport_) August 5, 2026
The most encouraging part of Alonso’s update concerns Palmer.
The 24-year-old endured a difficult 2025/26 campaign after recurring groin trouble disrupted his rhythm and restricted him to 26 Premier League appearances.
There was therefore understandable concern when Palmer trained individually before the Juventus game and was subsequently left out of the matchday squad.
However, Alonso has clarified that the latest problem is a contact injury rather than another recurrence of the groin issue. Palmer picked up the knock during Chelsea’s friendly against Tottenham in Sydney.
Chelsea will still be cautious with one of their most important attacking players, but there is currently nothing to suggest another lengthy spell on the sidelines.
ReadChelsea reported before the Juventus game that Palmer had been restricted to individual training and that both his and Colwill’s absences were precautionary. Alonso’s post-match comments have now provided further reassurance.
Chelsea taking no risks with Levi Colwill
The approach to Colwill is similarly understandable.
The England defender only recently returned after the ACL injury which kept him sidelined for most of last season. Chelsea are carefully increasing his workload rather than asking him to complete heavy minutes immediately.
Colwill sat out training before the Juventus game and was not included in the squad.
Alonso described his issue as another minor discomfort and made clear Chelsea saw no value in risking either player during a friendly.
There will inevitably be greater caution around Colwill because of his injury history, but there is no indication that he has suffered a fresh problem with the repaired knee.
Chelsea still have two matches remaining on their Asian tour. They face AC Milan in Jakarta on Saturday before playing Johor Darul Ta’zim in Malaysia a day later. Chelsea’s official tour schedule confirms both fixtures.
Whether Palmer or Colwill feature against Milan will depend on how they respond over the next two days.
The important news for Alonso is that Chelsea currently expect both absences to be short-term rather than another significant injury setback.
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