Chelsea kick off their pre-season campaign in Australia this week, facing A-League side Western Sydney Wanderers at Accor Stadium. The match marks the first game of Xabi Alonso’s tenure as head coach.
Match details
The game is scheduled for a 10:45am BST kick-off on Tuesday, July 28, 2026. In the UK, it will be televised live on CFC+, Chelsea’s in-house streaming service. An annual subscription costs £15, while pay-per-view passes are available for £9.99 per match.
Team news
New signings Emanuel Emegha and Geovany Quenda have been left in London after picking up knocks, while Morgan Rogers has yet to join up with his new club. Players who featured in the latter stages of the World Cup—including Pedro Neto, Reece James, Trevoh Chalobah and Enzo Fernandez—are also absent. Marco Palestra is expected to make his debut, alongside several academy players. Estevao, Romeo Lavia, Jamie Gittens and Levi Colwill are all fit and likely to feature.
Prediction and history
This is the first meeting between the two sides. Western Sydney finished bottom of the A-League last season with 21 points from 26 matches. Chelsea are strong favourites, with odds of 1/4 for a win, while Western Sydney are 11/2 and a draw is 6/1. A 4-1 win for Chelsea is predicted.
