Chelsea Lose to Juventus in Pre-Season Without Palmer, Colwill
Chelsea suffered a 1-0 defeat to Juventus in a pre-season friendly at the Kai Tak Stadium in Hong Kong on Wednesday, with head coach Xabi Alonso forced to reshuffle his squad after two of his most important players, Cole Palmer and Levi Colwill, were left out of the matchday squad as a precautionary measure.
The defeat marked Chelsea’s second loss in three pre-season fixtures since Alonso took charge ahead of the 2026/27 campaign, following an earlier 2-1 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur in Sydney, sandwiched between an opening 6-4 win over Western Sydney Wanderers.
Both Palmer and Colwill picked up what were described as minor knocks during training in Hong Kong earlier in the week. Palmer was seen working individually away from the main group on Tuesday, while Colwill was absent from the entire training session. Speaking to reporters pitchside before kickoff, Palmer expressed his frustration at being unable to feature, saying he was disappointed not to play due to a slight issue but praised the warmth of the reception in Hong Kong.
With the pair unavailable, Alonso made several adjustments to his starting lineup. Wesley Fofana and Tosin Adarabioyo were paired together at centre-back to cover for Colwill’s absence, while Joao Pedro was shifted into a central attacking role to help compensate for the creative void left by Palmer. The reshuffled side also handed a debut to summer signing Danny Welbeck, while 16-year-old academy talent Mahdi Nicoll-Jazuli made his first start for the club alongside Moises Caicedo in midfield. Robert Sanchez returned in goal after a brief spell out with a minor knock, and there was a boost for supporters as winger Mykhailo Mudryk took a place among the substitutes following his return from a lengthy doping-related suspension.
Both absences carry added significance given the injury histories of the two players. Palmer struggled with a recurring groin problem for much of last season, while Colwill only recently returned to full fitness after missing the majority of the previous campaign with an anterior cruciate ligament injury sustained in pre-season. Both players also missed out on England’s 2026 World Cup squad earlier this year due to fitness issues, a background that has made Alonso’s cautious approach in Hong Kong appear more like sensible risk management than excessive caution.
Speaking after the match, Alonso acknowledged that Chelsea remain a work in progress midway through pre-season, adding that there is still room for improvement following the club’s two defeats in three outings. With roughly three weeks remaining before the start of the new Premier League season, attention will now turn to whether Palmer and Colwill are able to return to full training and feature in Chelsea’s remaining pre-season fixtures.
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