Chelsea were beaten 1-0 by Juventus in their pre-season friendly at Hong Kong's Kai Tak Stadium, with Cole Palmer and Levi Colwill both missing from the matchday squad.
Edon Zhegrova scored the only goal of the game in the 68th minute with a stunning left-footed strike from the edge of the box, giving Juventus a deserved victory.
Mudryk's return highlights Chelsea's otherwise flat display
Mykhailo Mudryk made his long-awaited return in the second half, coming on for Nicolas Jackson in the closing stages. The Ukrainian winger had been sidelined since November 2024 after receiving a 20-month doping ban.
There were also first outings for Mike Penders, Geovany Quenda, and Danny Welbeck in what was Chelsea's third match of their pre-season schedule.
Palmer and Colwill ruled out with minor discomforts
Palmer and Colwill had both started in Chelsea's previous friendly against Tottenham, playing 80 minutes before being substituted. However, they were not involved in Hong Kong.
Palmer revealed in an on-pitch interview: '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.'
Speaking at his post-match press conference, head coach Xabi Alonso 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].'
When asked if Palmer's problem was a recurrence of his groin issue, Alonso replied: 'No, it's a whack, a contact injury that he had against Spurs. So it's not that.'
Alonso reflects on performance and Mudryk's return
Alonso felt his side gave away 'a little bit of control' after a positive start. He said: '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. In the second-half there were many changes, the game was not that controlled, everything was stable with all the substitutions. But 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.'
Alonso was delighted that Mudryk could get some minutes and revealed how the forward reacted to being named among the substitutes. He explained: '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. 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.'
Upcoming fixtures
Chelsea continue their pre-season against AC Milan at Jakarta's GBK Stadium on Saturday, before facing Johor Darul Ta'zim in Malaysia. They then return to Stamford Bridge to host Real Sociedad in a final friendly on August 15.
The Blues open their Premier League campaign nine days later away to local neighbours Fulham.
