Chelsea Faces Italian Challenge in Jakarta: Seeking Answers

Chelsea’s Asian tour rolls on to Jakarta, and with it comes another examination from Serie A. Juventus exposed plenty of flaws in midweek; now an Italian encore arrives at a time when Xabi Alonso could do with answers more than excuses.

Back-to-back defeats – Tottenham at the weekend, Juventus on Wednesday – have stripped away any illusion of a gentle bedding-in period for the new head coach. The scorelines have been narrow, but the performances blunt. Alonso has spent the early days of his tenure shuffling shapes and roles, searching for a structure that sticks before the Premier League curtain rises. This latest stop in Indonesia is less about the postcard and more about proof of progress.

The selection puzzle is already complicated. Cole Palmer and Levi Colwill remain wrapped in medical caveats, both still doubts after missing the Juventus defeat in Hong Kong with minor issues. Their absence removes two pillars of Chelsea’s spine: Palmer the creative reference point, Colwill the left-sided balance in defence. Without them, the team has looked short of personality in both boxes.

One return does change the mood. Mykhailo Mudryk is back in blue on the pitch at last, his doping ban lifted and his first minutes in 20 months arriving earlier on tour. Rust is inevitable, but so is the intrigue. This Jakarta fixture could bring his first Chelsea start since November 2024, a remarkable sentence in itself for a player once billed as a long-term cornerstone. How Alonso uses him – wide and direct, or tucked inside as a runner – will be one of the day’s most telling tactical choices.

The schedule offers no breathing room. This is the first leg of a weekend double-header, with Malaysian champions Johor Darul Ta'zim waiting on Sunday. Every minute must be rationed. Some will be pushed hard today, others protected for tomorrow, and the split will say plenty about who Alonso already trusts and who still has to convince him.

Chelsea’s pre-season often drifts into the background noise of a long summer. Not this time. A new manager, a squad still trying to shake off last season’s scars, and a fanbase impatient for signs of a coherent plan: Jakarta might be “only” a friendly, but the stakes feel sharper than that.

Another Italian test, another chance to show that the early stumbles are just that – or to raise the question of how long this team can afford to wait for momentum to arrive.