Chelsea Faces Italian Challenge in Jakarta as Pre-Season Intensifies

Chelsea’s Asian tour rolls on to Jakarta, and with it comes another Italian examination for Xabi Alonso’s new regime.

A 1-0 defeat to Juventus in Hong Kong on Wednesday, tagged on to last weekend’s loss to Tottenham, has stripped away any early-tour gloss. Chelsea are still searching for rhythm, still looking for a first real statement under their new manager. For Alonso, this stage of pre-season has turned from a gentle introduction into something more demanding. The tweaks are getting sharper, the questions louder.

Alonso under early scrutiny

Two defeats in quick succession do not define a season, but they do shape a mood. Chelsea have looked short of cutting edge, short of cohesion, and Alonso knows it. These games are supposed to build momentum; instead, they have underlined how far this team still has to go before the Premier League kicks off.

So the Italian test in Jakarta arrives with a little more edge. Team selection, shape, pressing triggers, combinations in the final third – all of it will be probed again as Alonso keeps adjusting his methods on the fly, searching for a structure that sticks.

Fitness doubts and a long-awaited return

The picture is complicated by fitness concerns. Cole Palmer and Levi Colwill both missed the midweek defeat with minor issues, and their involvement here remains uncertain. Chelsea will not gamble recklessly in pre-season, but every missed minute is another lost chance to knit this side together.

One storyline cuts through the uncertainty. Mykhailo Mudryk, back on the pitch for the first time in 20 months after his doping ban was lifted last week, has re-entered the frame. His cameo in Hong Kong broke a long and bruising spell on the sidelines; now he is pushing for more.

In Jakarta, he could be handed his first Chelsea start since November 2024. That is not just a selection note, it is a turning point. The Ukrainian’s raw pace and directness offer something different to a team that has too often played in front of opponents on this tour. If Alonso wants to jolt this pre-season into life, Mudryk from the off is an obvious lever to pull.

Balancing a double-header

Today’s fixture is only half the assignment. Chelsea face Johor Darul Ta'zim in Malaysia on Sunday, a weekend double-header that forces Alonso into a delicate balancing act.

Some players will be asked to go again, to build sharpness and understanding. Others will be protected, held back for the second leg of this Asian swing. Every decision carries a message: who is trusted to set the tone now, and who is being lined up to stake a claim tomorrow?

The tour has already stripped away any illusion that this would be a smooth glide into the new campaign. Jakarta offers something else: a chance to respond, to show that the early stumbles are part of a rough draft rather than a worrying pattern.

Chelsea need a performance. Alonso needs signs his ideas are taking root. And Mudryk, finally back under the lights, needs minutes that matter.