Chelsea's pre-season tour hit a minor setback as Cole Palmer and Levi Colwill were both ruled out of the friendly against Juventus in Hong Kong, with manager Xabi Alonso confirming the duo had picked up knocks. The Blues fell to a 1-0 defeat at Kai Tak Stadium, courtesy of Edon Zhegrova's stunning left-footed strike from the edge of the box in the 68th minute.
Palmer and Colwill sidelined with discomforts
Palmer, who had started and played 80 minutes in the previous match against Tottenham, revealed his disappointment in an on-pitch interview, stating: 'I am obviously disappointed not to play due to a slight issue. But I love Hong Kong and this amazing support. The stadium and fans are amazing and it should be a good night.'
Alonso, addressing the media after the match, explained: 'Yes, they had a few, not injuries, discomforts. Cole with a whack and Levi as well, so no point to take today's risk and hopefully they will be fine for Saturday [against AC Milan].'
Alonso clarifies Palmer's injury is not a recurrence
When asked if Palmer's issue was related to his previous groin problem, Alonso was quick to dismiss the notion: 'No, it's a whack, a contact injury that he had against Spurs. So it's not that.'
The absence of the two England internationals was a blow to fans in Hong Kong, who had hoped to see them in action. However, the match did provide a significant moment for Chelsea supporters as Mykhailo Mudryk made his long-awaited return to the pitch in the second half, coming on for Nicolas Jackson in the closing stages.
Mudryk's emotional return after doping ban
Mudryk had been sidelined since November 2024 after receiving a 20-month doping ban. His return was an emotional highlight for the team, with Alonso expressing his delight: 'I'm really pleased for him. It was emotional for everyone from the club to see him back, especially when I told him that before the game that was my idea, that he could play 10-15 minutes.'
Alonso added: 'He was thrilled, for sure. It was, after such a long period, to be back on the pitch, it was a great feeling for him and a great feeling for everyone as well.'
Other notable appearances and match summary
The contest also saw first outings for Mike Penders, Geovany Quenda, and Danny Welbeck, as Chelsea continued their busy pre-season schedule. The Blues had kicked off their summer with an entertaining 6-4 win over Western Sydney Wanderers, where Joao Pedro completed a late hat-trick. However, they then suffered a defeat to ten-man Tottenham, with Richarlison striking in stoppage time after Kevin Danso's earlier sending off.
Against Juventus, Chelsea started brightly but faded, with Alonso noting: 'I think we started pretty well. The first 30-35 minutes we have played with good control, we have created a few chances and the last few minutes, a little bit like last Saturday, then we lost a little bit of control.'
Looking ahead to the season
Chelsea will continue their pre-season with matches against AC Milan in Jakarta on Saturday and Johor Darul Ta'zim in Malaysia, before returning to Stamford Bridge to host Real Sociedad on August 15. The Blues open their Premier League campaign nine days later away to local neighbours Fulham.
Alonso remains focused on the bigger picture, stating: 'For sure it's a process, it's minutes for everyone and now we have two more before we go back to London and then we will be the ones that will start the season. For sure we are a big part but we are missing another big part as well.'
