Chelsea left both Cole Palmer and Levi Colwill out of the matchday squad against Juventus in Hong Kong after neither player was able to fully train on Tuesday. Xabi Alonso said the pair were dealing with minor discomforts, not anything more serious, and Chelsea chose not to take the risk.
Alonso's explanation
Alonso was blunt about the call. "Yes, they had a few, not injuries, discomforts. Cole with a whack and Levi as well, so no point to take today's risk and hopefully they will be fine for Saturday [against AC Milan]," he said.
He also ruled out the idea that Palmer’s issue was a groin problem. "No, it's a whack, a contact injury that he had against Spurs. So it's not that," Alonso said.
That is the sensible part of the story. Palmer had played 482 minutes across his last five matches, while Colwill’s last five ratings average 6.94, so Chelsea were not taking two untested bodies out of the frame. They were protecting players who had already been leaned on.
Mudryk's return in Hong Kong
The more striking visual was Mykhailo Mudryk back in the squad after being sidelined since November 2024. He was named among Chelsea’s substitutes, and Alonso said the return was emotional for the club and planned for only 10-15 minutes.
"I'm really pleased for him. It was emotional for everyone from the club to see him back," Alonso said. "It was, after such a long period, to be back on the pitch, it was a great feeling for him and a great feeling for everyone as well."
Chelsea's wider pre-season picture is still unsettled. Their last five competitive results were one win, one draw and three losses, and Alonso said the friendly was about minutes and control as much as the result. The next scheduled game is against AC Milan on Saturday, and the squad should look a little healthier by then.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 3 outlets. How we work →
