Chelsea Fall to Juventus as Mudryk Returns in Hong Kong Friendly

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Chelsea suffered a second successive pre-season defeat after losing 1-0 to Juventus in a friendly played at Kai Tak Sports Park in Hong Kong.

A stunning second-half strike from Edon Zhegrova proved the difference as Juventus maintained their unbeaten pre-season record, while Chelsea, under new head coach Xabi Alonso, followed up their 2-1 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur with another narrow loss.

Despite the defeat, there were encouraging signs for the Blues. Mykhailo Mudryk made his first Chelsea appearance since November 2024, returning to action after being cleared to resume playing following a lengthy suspension. He came off the bench in the second half and was involved in Chelsea’s late attacking efforts.

Summer signings Danny Welbeck and Geovany Quenda both featured for the first time in Chelsea colours, with Quenda impressing during the opening half before being substituted at the break.

New arrivals including Marco Palestra also featured as Alonso continued to assess his squad ahead of the new campaign.

Chelsea will now look to bounce back in their remaining pre-season fixtures as Alonso continues to build his squad ahead of the start of the 2026/27 season.

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