Chelsea Faces AC Milan in Jakarta as Alonso Seeks Stability

Chelsea’s pre-season tour of Asia moves to Jakarta on Saturday, and the mood has shifted. The early swagger has gone. In its place: questions, selection dilemmas and the need to steady a project that is only just beginning under Xabi Alonso.

Three wins over Crawley, Bromley and Western Sydney Wanderers had given the new head coach a smooth runway. Then came the turbulence. A stoppage-time collapse against 10-man Tottenham in Australia, followed by a 1-0 defeat to Juventus in Hong Kong, has snapped that early momentum.

No crisis yet. But with the Premier League kicking off in two weeks, the Milan fixture suddenly carries a bit more weight.

A stronger Chelsea, a tougher test

AC Milan in Jakarta is the first leg of a demanding double-header, with Johor Darul Ta'zim waiting in Malaysia on Sunday. Alonso is expected to go strong against the Serie A giants at Gelora Bung Karno, then lean on his squad depth 24 hours later.

This is the point in pre-season when experiments start to narrow and the outline of a first XI comes into focus. The bulk of Chelsea’s World Cup returnees are now back in the fold, and Milan offers Alonso his best chance yet to see something close to his preferred side.

Defensive doubts and a key return

Chelsea have looked uncertain defensively under Alonso, and he has a simple explanation: he hasn’t been able to field a settled backline. Constant tweaks, fitness management and patchy pitches have all played their part.

That is why Levi Colwill’s return matters so much. The centre-back missed most of last season with an anterior cruciate ligament injury, and his absence has been felt. Colwill was held back in Hong Kong as a precaution, the staff unwilling to risk him on another suspect surface. The expectation now is that he steps back into contention in Jakarta.

If Alonso wants familiarity and authority at the back, Colwill is central to that plan.

Goalkeeper battle comes into focus

Robert Sanchez made his return from injury against Juventus, but he did not step back into an undisputed role. Young Belgian goalkeeper Mike Penders is pushing hard, and the Milan game could offer a clear signal of how Alonso views his No1 hierarchy heading into the new season.

Choose Sanchez and he backs experience. Turn to Penders and he accelerates a changing of the guard. Either way, this is no longer a position picked on autopilot.

Mudryk back in the spotlight

The Juventus defeat was decided by a brilliant second-half strike from Edon Zhegrova, yet the story of the night for Chelsea revolved around Mykhailo Mudryk.

The Ukrainian winger returned to action after resolving his anti-doping disciplinary case with the FA and immediately stepped back under the brightest of spotlights. He is now firmly in the shop window, with several clubs tracking a loan move. Against Milan, he could make his first Chelsea start since November 2024.

For Alonso, Mudryk is both an asset and a puzzle. Use him now to sharpen the attack, or protect him with a move that might free up space and minutes for others? Jakarta could help answer that.

Palmer, Colwill fitness calls

Cole Palmer, like Colwill, sat out the Juventus game as a precaution. On another uneven surface, Chelsea chose not to gamble. The message from the camp is that both should be in contention for minutes this weekend.

Palmer’s importance to this side is already obvious. He gives Alonso creativity between the lines, a goal threat from distance and a calmness in possession that has often been missing in Chelsea’s recent chaos. If he is ready, he starts.

Cobham youth and a new £40m spark

The defeats have not been entirely gloomy. One of the brightest notes of pre-season so far has been the emergence of 16-year-old midfielder Mahdi Nicoll-Jazuli.

The Sydney-born England youth international earned his first senior start against Juventus and did not look out of place. Alonso trusted him ahead of Romeo Lavia and Dario Essugo to partner Moises Caicedo in midfield, a bold call that underlined how quickly the Cobham graduate has climbed the internal pecking order.

On the flank, Geovany Quenda has wasted no time justifying his £40million move from Sporting. In an otherwise flat team display in Hong Kong, the 19-year-old winger injected urgency and directness, suggesting he is ready to impact the first team immediately rather than ease in from the fringes.

Two games, one weekend, big decisions

With Milan on Saturday and Johor Darul Ta'zim on Sunday in different countries, Alonso must juggle minutes, fitness and fragile confidence. The expectation is clear: a near full-strength Chelsea against Milan, then a reshuffled, opportunity-heavy side in Malaysia.

That means Jakarta should offer the clearest preview yet of Alonso’s early blueprint:

• A likely start for Penders if the coaching staff want to test his credentials at the highest level of this tour.
• A back four that could finally include Colwill, alongside the likes of Wesley Fofana and Jorrel Hato, with Malo Gusto or another option rotated depending on load.
• A midfield axis featuring Caicedo and potentially Lavia, with Nicoll-Jazuli pushing hard for more minutes after his Juventus showing.
• An attacking line shaped around Palmer, Mudryk and new faces such as Estevao and Joao Pedro, all competing to lock down roles before the real games begin.

Kick-off in Jakarta is set for 1pm BST on Saturday August 8, 2026, at the imposing Gelora Bung Karno Stadium. CFC+ will carry the action for those watching from afar.

Pre-season scores rarely define a campaign. But with Milan in town, defensive doubts lingering and places still up for grabs, this one will tell Alonso plenty about who is ready to lead Chelsea into the new season—and who is running out of time to convince him.