Chelsea's pre-season build-up already looks like a selection problem, not just a warm-up. Chelsea used only four first-team players in their opener against Western Sydney Wanderers, then turned the game over to a much more senior group late on. Tottenham now face a club that looks likely to lean harder on its main names on Saturday morning, but still has a few moving parts to sort out.
Chelsea's opener gave Alonso plenty of clues
Xabi Alonso left the majority of his stars on the bench to start, then made eight changes with 25 minutes left to play. Robert Sánchez, Levi Colwill, Wesley Fofana, Cole Palmer, Marco Palestra, Estevao, Jamie Gittens and Joao Pedro all came on together, which is a strong hint that the second pre-season outing will look very different from the first.
That opener was a 6-4 defeat of Western Sydney Wanderers, but the main point was the split in usage. Chelsea were careful with minutes, then suddenly opened the door to a long list of senior options. For a side that finished 10th in the 2025 Premier League table, the rotation is understandable, but it also underlines how much work remains before the serious games start.
The selection picture before Tottenham
One major change is already forced. Maxence Lacroix is unavailable after Chelsea confirmed his transfer from Crystal Palace on Thursday, while Filip Jorgensen has flown home to complete a transfer. That trims the pool before Alonso even gets to the finer selection calls.
The recent results also give the fixture some edge. Chelsea beat Tottenham 2-1 in their most recent Premier League meeting, and Tottenham have won two of their last five competitive matches, so the friendly lands with a little more context than a routine summer run-out. Chelsea, though, have lost three of their last five competitive matches, which makes this the sort of game where rhythm and selection are both worth watching.
Saturday's match is scheduled for 10.45am BST at Accor Stadium. If Chelsea use the stronger XI their opener hinted at, the friendly should tell us a lot more about where the squad stands.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →
