Chelsea vs AC Milan: Alonso's Team Seeks Momentum as Mudryk Shines

Chelsea’s pre-season tour rolls into Jakarta with a sharper edge than the club would have hoped for in early August.

Two defeats on the bounce under Xabi Alonso, the latest a 1-0 loss to Juventus in Hong Kong, have stripped away some of the early-tour optimism that followed three straight wins over Crawley, Bromley and Western Sydney Wanderers. With the Premier League now just a fortnight away, this meeting with AC Milan at Gelora Bung Karno suddenly feels less like a gentle run-out and more like a necessary reset.

Alonso wants a response, not excuses

Alonso has been clear enough in his selections: he wants this group hardened quickly. Chelsea have looked uncertain without a settled defence, and the manager has chopped and changed at the back out of necessity as much as design.

The return of Levi Colwill, then, is huge. The centre-back missed most of last season with an anterior cruciate ligament injury and was held back on the poor surface in Hong Kong as a precaution. If he comes through this weekend, Alonso can finally start building the familiarity he craves in that back line.

Cole Palmer is in the same bracket. Left out against Juventus to avoid unnecessary risk, he is expected to be available for minutes in Jakarta. For a Chelsea side that has often lacked fluency in the final third on this tour, Palmer’s creativity between the lines is non‑negotiable.

Mudryk back, and firmly in the shop window

The Juventus defeat was overshadowed by one storyline: the return of Mykhailo Mudryk. His anti-doping disciplinary case with the FA is resolved, his future is anything but.

The Ukrainian came off the bench in Hong Kong and instantly became the most watched player on the pitch, not just by Chelsea supporters but by the scouts and sporting directors tracking his situation. Several clubs are circling for a loan move, and he is now “firmly in the shop window”.

Jakarta could bring his first start for Chelsea since November 2024. For a winger whose Chelsea career has stalled and stuttered, this is a rare clean slate. A strong showing against Milan would boost his value, his confidence, and perhaps even Alonso’s willingness to keep him around.

Penders vs Sanchez: the No1 question

One of the quieter battles of pre-season has suddenly become one of the most intriguing. Robert Sanchez returned from injury against Juventus, yet his place is no longer guaranteed.

Young Belgian goalkeeper Mike Penders has been pushing hard in training and is widely tipped to start against Milan. If Alonso does go with the 21-year-old, it will be another clear signal that reputations count for less than form on this tour.

Sanchez, back from the treatment room and short of rhythm, cannot afford many more games watching on. Penders, meanwhile, knows that every clean catch, every sharp save in Jakarta edges him closer to that No1 shirt when the real stuff starts.

Youth steps up as tour fatigue sets in

Pre-season often flatters to deceive, but it can also reveal who is ready to jump the queue. At Chelsea, two names have surged to the front.

Mahdi Nicoll-Jazuli, just 16, was the standout against Juventus on his first senior start. The Sydney-born England youth international was trusted ahead of Romeo Lavia and Dario Essugo to partner Moises Caicedo in midfield. That selection said as much about Alonso’s belief in the Cobham graduate as it did about any tactical experiment.

Nicoll-Jazuli did not look out of place. He demanded the ball, moved it quickly, and handled the occasion. For a teenager to be picked in that role, in that company, is a statement.

On the flank, Geovany Quenda offered another bright spark in an otherwise flat team display. The 19-year-old winger, a £40million signing from Sporting, carried the ball aggressively and looked ready to make an immediate impact. His direct running might be exactly what this Chelsea side needs when games drift.

Rotation on a tight schedule

The schedule is brutal: AC Milan in Indonesia on Saturday, Johor Darul Ta'zim in Malaysia on Sunday. Two matches in two countries in 24 hours. Alonso has no choice but to rotate.

Jakarta should see something close to a full-strength side. The predicted XI reflects that intent: Penders in goal; a back four of Palestra, Fofana, Colwill and Hato; Lavia and Caicedo anchoring midfield; Estevao, Palmer and Mudryk supporting Joao Pedro up front.

Those who are managed carefully or held back against Milan are likely to start in Malaysia. It is a delicate balancing act: build rhythm, but don’t break bodies on tired pitches a fortnight before the Premier League kicks off.

Defensive doubts, attacking questions

Chelsea’s defending under Alonso has been patchy. That much is obvious. The manager will point to the lack of a consistent back four, and he has a case. Colwill’s return should help, as should more minutes together for the likely first-choice unit.

The bigger question now is how quickly this team can turn sterile possession into something more ruthless. Palmer’s craft, Mudryk’s pace, Quenda’s directness, Joao Pedro’s movement – on paper, there is enough there to trouble Milan.

Pre-season results are often talked up or torn apart far beyond their real meaning. Yet this one carries a different kind of weight. After back-to-back defeats, after a week of travel and scrutiny, Chelsea need more than just minutes in the legs.

They need a performance that looks like the start of something, not another warning sign with the season almost upon them.