Chelsea's Pre-Season Update: Palmer and Colwill Sit Out, Mudryk Returns
Chelsea’s pre-season in Asia took an unexpected turn on Wednesday, with Cole Palmer and Levi Colwill both withdrawn from the matchday squad to face Juventus as a precaution after picking up minor knocks.
No drama, the club insist. But their absence reshaped the entire night.
Palmer’s momentum checked – for now
Palmer’s omission stung most. Since arriving at Stamford Bridge he has been Chelsea’s sharpest attacking edge, and this tour had only underlined that. He came off the bench in the wild 6-4 win over Western Sydney Wanderers to lay on an assist, then started in the 2-1 defeat to Tottenham in the Sydney Super Cup.
Here in Hong Kong, though, he stayed in his tracksuit.
“I’m disappointed not to play due to a slight issue, but I love Hong Kong. Amazing support,” he said pitchside before kick-off, a hint of frustration wrapped in politeness. The medical team, wary of the intensity of this pre-season schedule, had advised against risking him.
For a manager trying to build rhythm and relationships in the final weeks before the season, losing his in-form creator for a glamour tie against Juventus was a serious disruption.
Colwill out, defence reshuffled
Colwill’s knock forced another rethink. The young centre-back had been pencilled in as a certain starter, a cornerstone of Chelsea’s back line. Instead, Xabi Alonso had to improvise.
Wesley Fofana and Tosin Adarabioyo stepped in as the central pairing, a partnership that may yet prove important once the competitive games begin. This was an early, high-level examination against Italian opposition who rarely pass up the chance to expose a defensive lapse.
Around them, the full-back berths stayed in familiar hands. Marco Palestra and Jorrel Hato both kept their places, a nod to continuity on the flanks amid change through the spine.
Creativity reimagined, Welbeck handed debut
Without Palmer, Chelsea’s attacking blueprint needed a redraw. Alonso pushed Joao Pedro into a central attacking role, asking him to shoulder the creative burden that usually falls on the 24-year-old England international.
That tweak opened the door for Danny Welbeck. The summer signing was handed his Chelsea debut, a reminder that this tour is as much about auditions as it is about results. Welbeck’s movement, experience and willingness to stretch defences gave the front line a different look, even if it lacked Palmer’s improvisation between the lines.
Behind them, the selection that caught the eye came in midfield.
Moises Caicedo anchored the centre of the pitch, but alongside him stood 16-year-old academy product Mahdi Nicoll-Jazuli, making his first start for the club. A teenager thrust into a high-profile friendly against Juventus: it was a bold call from Alonso and a clear signal that pathways from Cobham to the first team remain open for those who convince.
Mudryk back from the cold
While Palmer and Colwill watched from the sidelines, another story unfolded on the bench. Mykhailo Mudryk, absent from Chelsea duty since November 2024, finally reappeared in a matchday squad.
The Ukrainian winger had been serving a provisional suspension amid a doping dispute, a cloud that threatened to derail his Chelsea career before it had truly started. The Court of Arbitration for Sport’s decision to rescind his four-year ban cleared him to return, and Alonso wasted no time involving him.
“We trained yesterday. He came directly from the airport to the hotel. So, yesterday was more about the feelings, more about the emotions, to be back with the players to assess the fitness level,” Alonso explained. “But yes, he could play, maybe 90 minutes too early, but he can be selected. He’s selected, so he can play. We are thrilled that Misha could be with us.”
Mudryk’s presence alone felt significant. The sprinting, the directness, the raw electricity he can bring have been missing from Chelsea’s wings for months. Now, at last, he has a route back.
Future still uncertain for £62m winger
His reinstatement does not mean the questions stop. The winger, signed for £62 million and burdened by that price tag ever since, remains at the centre of transfer speculation.
Alonso acknowledged that Chelsea are still weighing up what comes next. Several Premier League clubs are monitoring his situation and exploring the possibility of a loan, and the club hierarchy must decide whether Mudryk’s long-term revival is best served in west London or elsewhere for a season.
For now, he is back in blue. How long that lasts is a different issue.
A squad in motion as the window tightens
Beyond individual stories, the broader picture is one of a club in flux. Chelsea are closing in on an 11th signing of the summer, the churn of arrivals and departures showing no sign of slowing as the transfer window ticks towards its conclusion.
At the same time, the medical department’s caution over Palmer and Colwill underlines another priority: protecting the core group for the season that actually matters. Minor knocks in July and early August cannot be allowed to become major problems in September.
So Palmer waits. Colwill waits. Both are expected to recover swiftly, both are central to what Alonso wants this team to become.
Pre-season is supposed to be about fitness, sharpness, systems. For Chelsea, it has also become about something else: who will still be here, fully fit and fully trusted, when the curtain finally goes up on the new campaign?
