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By Ishaan Kapoor — 5 August 2026 — 3 min read

Mudryk’s return to action

Mykhailo Mudryk made his return to the pitch for Chelsea after nearly two years, featuring in a 1-0 friendly loss to Juventus in Hong Kong. The match, held at Kai Tak Sports Park, saw Mudryk enter the game as a substitute for Nicolas Jackson in the 82nd minute. His appearance was met with applause from his teammates and cheers from the Chelsea supporters among the 43,575 attendees.

This marked Mudryk’s first competitive appearance since November 2024. He had been provisionally suspended following an “adverse finding” for meldonium, a banned substance. However, the 25-year-old was cleared to resume playing after resolving the matter with the Football Association. Xabi Alonso, Chelsea’s manager, described Mudryk’s return as “emotional” for everyone at the club, noting the player’s excitement to be back on the pitch after an extended period away.

Despite a lively performance on the left side of the field, Mudryk was unable to prevent Juventus from securing the win. The decisive goal came from Edon Zhegrova, who scored in the second half.

Match details and managerial comments

The first half of the friendly match was described as drab, with both teams struggling to create clear chances. Danny Welbeck, making his first appearance for Chelsea, had an opportunity but failed to direct a header on target. Early in the second half, a long pass from Moisés Caicedo set up new signing Marco Palestra, whose shot was saved by Mattia Perin.

Juventus broke the deadlock in the 68th minute when Kenan Yildiz set up Edon Zhegrova, who curled a strike into the top corner from outside the box. Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso commented on the game, stating that his side started well, controlling the play for the first 30 to 35 minutes and creating some chances. He acknowledged that the second half became less controlled due to numerous substitutions from both sides.

Alonso noted that while they did not win, the match was part of a process to give minutes to all players. Juventus manager Luciano Spalletti also shared his thoughts on the match, highlighting his team’s consistent performance and ability to remain compact. He praised Zhegrova’s goal but emphasised the importance of overall team contribution throughout the 96 minutes of a match, not just individual moments.

Spalletti also mentioned Chelsea’s capabilities, describing them as a high-level team capable of building from the back, finishing plays, and playing with intensity. He stressed the importance for Juventus not to be overwhelmed by such an opponent. The Juventus manager also noted that his team has maintained a clean sheet throughout their pre-season matches, including a 0-0 draw against Basel, a 1-0 win against Standard Liege, and a 2-0 victory over Nice.

Pre-season fixtures and Milan tribute

Following the match in Hong Kong, Chelsea is scheduled to face Milan in Jakarta on Saturday. Their pre-season schedule will conclude with games against Malaysia’s Johor Darul Ta’zim and Spain’s Real Sociedad.

In other pre-season action, Milan played Inter in a derby match in Perth, which ended in a draw. This match was the first for Milan since the passing of Franco Baresi, who captained the club during the 1980s and 1990s. A minute’s silence was observed before the game, with players from both teams linking arms in tribute. Inter took the lead in the 52nd minute with a goal from Federico Dimarco, but Christopher Nkunku equalised for Milan from the penalty spot in the 83rd minute after being fouled by Carlos Augusto.

The match between Milan and Inter was attended by 52,310 fans in Australia, showcasing the continued interest in these pre-season encounters.

Source: theguardian.com