After a quick keep in Hong Kong, Chelsea are off to Indonesia, the place we’ll be enjoying a pleasant in opposition to AC Milan in Jakarta on Saturday. After which, instantly after, we’re again to mainland Asia, with a sport in Malaysia not 24 hours later! Definitely a whirlwind finish to this two-week tour of Australia and Southeast Asia!
With a lot journey to take care of, to not point out all the varied commitments to fan-engagement and the like, it’s a miracle we will do any precise coaching. We actually a few of that sadly, with lower than spectacular performances within the final two friendlies in opposition to Spurs and Juventus. Whereas preseason outcomes don’t matter, the way in which we play does. And up to now, we’ve lacked the innovative.
That mentioned, Xabi Alonso is beginning to see a group come collectively as a bunch, which ought to present the required basis for any substantive enchancment sooner or later. Constructing the collective is actually one of many major objectives of preseason, so it’s good to see us making progress in that regard.
“We wish to have an amazing group spirit and that’s constructed every day with an amazing tradition within the constructing. That helps within the second it’s important to compete. You’re feeling higher having that togetherness, belief, and the bonds between the gamers are so necessary to finally constructing a successful mentality – and a group that may compete anyplace. So the soccer aspect is so necessary, however the psychological aspect is as necessary. And the power of the group is an important.”
-Xabi Alonso; supply: Chelsea FC
Then once more, nothing builds nice group spirit higher than enjoying nicely and successful.
Date / Time: Saturday, August 8, 2026, 7pm native; 13.00 BST; 8am EDT
Venue: Gelora Bung Karno Fundamental Stadium, Jakarta, Indonesia
Forecast: Scorching scorching scorching, although a bit extra bearable as soon as the Solar goes down
On TV: CBS Sports activities Community; FOX Deportes (USA); elsewhere
Streaming: Paramount+, Fox One (USA), FanCode (India); StarTimes (NGA); CFC+ (UK/int’l) — CFC+ is Chelsea’s new-ish premium(?) streaming service so in case your area doesn’t have a rights-holder, you possibly can watch there for £9.99 (or purchase all six preseason video games for just a bit extra at £14.99; or subscribe for the entire yr for just a little bit extra at £19.99)
Chelsea group information: Cole Palmer and Levi Colwill sat out Wednesday’s pleasant with minor knocks, which hopefully will show minor certainly — similar to it was the case with Robert Sánchez, who was again in motion after his precautionary absence the match prior. Wednesday’s defeat additionally noticed the return of Mykhailo Mudryk after a 20-month absence from soccer, which was good to see, not less than on a human degree.
With Chelsea enjoying twice within the span of about 24 hours this weekend, we’ll presumably see a break up squad between this sport and the sport on Sunday in opposition to Malaysian champions Johor Darul Ta’zim.
AC Milan group information: Milan have a brand new head coach in Ruben Amorim and a brand new essential man up entrance after spending a club-record €74m on PSG and Portugal striker Gonçalo Ramos. One other €30m was dropped on defender Mario Gila, as soon as of Actual Madrid’s youth groups because the Rossoneri try to return to the highest of the pile in Serie A after ending exterior the top-four the final two seasons.
As has been the case for just a few years now, their squad comprises a number of acquainted faces and a number of former Chelsea gamers, together with Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Fikayo Tomori, Christopher Nkunku, and Christian Pulisic — although Pulisic will miss out as a result of harm he picked up on the World Cup as his horrendous 2026 calendar yr rolls on. Nkunku additionally struggled final season (the entire season) and there have been loads of rumors that he is likely to be shifting on already. He’s not gone anyplace simply but nonetheless and scored the late equalizer of their earlier pleasant, a 1-1 draw in opposition to bitter rivals, and defending Serie A champions Inter Milan.
Beforehand: We final performed Milan within the group phases of the 2022-23 Champions League, successful each residence and away. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored in each video games, absolutely accounting for two-thirds of his complete objectives in his Chelsea profession. (Auba’s nonetheless enjoying, thoughts you, and nonetheless scoring in double-digits wherever he goes. His Chelsea season was the one one since 2011 the place he failed to succeed in that mark.) We even have some prior historical past on this very stadium, beating a neighborhood all-star choice, 8-1, again in 2013.
