It has been another frantic summer window at Chelsea but focus will return to on-field matters tomorrow when they face Juventus in their latest pre-season friendly in Hong Kong.
The Blues’ need for experienced heads has led them to sign Danny Welbeck and Jordan Henderson as boss Xabi Alonso looks for leadership in a squad that looked rudderless at times on its way to finishing 10th in the Premier League last season.
The early results under Alonso can be largely disregarded – a wild 6-4 win over the Western Sydney Wanderers followed by a 2-1 defeat to a Tottenham side that played virtually the whole second half with 10 men.
The Spaniard will be looking for a little more control against a Juve side undergoing their own transformation under Luciano Spalletti.
Netherlands international Jorrel Hato is confident things will soon begin to click under the former Bayer Leverkusen and Real Madrid boss.
“We’ve had a number of coaches during my time here, but under Xabi I think we have a great manager and we have a great opportunity to push for trophies,” Hato told the club’s official website.
“It’s very early to say that, of course, but I have the faith and the confidence in this team that we could do something special this season.”
Juve are unbeaten in three pre-season friendlies under Spalletti, who was kept on despite the club missing out on a top-four Serie A finish last season and settling for Europa League football.
The Bianconeri drew with Basle in their pre-season opener before beating Standard Liege and Nice, keeping a clean sheet in all three games. Spalletti has strengthened his forward options in the transfer market too, bringing Randal Kolo Muani back to the club and adding Bosnian prospect Kerim Alajbegovic, though influential midfielder Khephren Thuram remains sidelined.
Team News for Chelsea v Juventus
Chelsea have been boosted by the arrivals of Mykhailo Mudryk, Welbeck, Pedro Neto and Geovany Quenda in Hong Kong, though it’s unlikely any will feature from the start against Juve. Robert Sanchez has a minor injury so Teddy Sharman-Lowe could start in goal.
Moises Caicedo and Nicolas Jackson both missed the loss to Tottenham after returning from their post-World Cup break, but Alonso has suggested both could feature. Henderson, Valentin Barco, Enzo Fernandez, Maxence Lacroix and Morgan Rogers are not yet ready to return. With Liam Delap expected to leave the club, Kazakh youngster Dastan Satpaev and Joao Pedro – who scored a hat-trick against Western Sydney Wanderers – are the leading contenders to start up front.
Juventus can no longer call upon Dusan Vlahovic, released at the end of his contract, so a fit-again Arkadiusz Milik could lead the line. Zeki Celik has arrived on a free transfer from Roma to provide cover at right-back, while Jeff Ekhator, signed from Genoa, joins Thuram on the sidelines through a muscular injury.
Expected line-ups for Chelsea v Juventus
Chelsea: Sharman-Lowe; Palestra, Acheampong, Colwill, Hato; Lavia, Caicedo; Estevao, Palmer, Gittens; Pedro
Juventus: Di Gregorio; Kalulu, Gatti, Kelly; Celik, Locatelli, Luiz, Cambiaso; Zhegrova, Boga; Milik
How to watch Chelsea v Juventus: TV and online streams
Chelsea v Juventus kicks off at 12:30pm UK time on Wednesday August 5, which is 7:30pm local time in Hong Kong. In the UK, the match will be shown live on Chelsea’s in-house streaming service, CFC.
Stats for Chelsea v Juventus
- The two sides have met six times previously, all in the Champions League, with two wins each and two draws
- Their most recent meeting came in November 2021, when Chelsea beat Juventus 4-0 at Stamford Bridge to seal a 4-1 aggregate win in the group phase
- Juventus have not conceded a goal in their three pre-season friendlies
- Chelsea have won one and lost one of their two pre-season friendlies so far this summer
Prediction for Chelsea v Juventus
Chelsea should have the stronger squad available for this one, with several senior players back involved after their World Cup exertions. Alonso’s side head into the game with more attacking quality on the bench too, which should tell in a closely-fought friendly.
Prediction: Chelsea 2-1 Juventus
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