Chelsea Faces AC Milan Test as Alonso Seeks Rhythm in Jakarta

Chelsea’s pre-season tour of Asia takes a sharper edge this weekend. The novelty of new faces and new ideas has quickly given way to a simple reality: the Premier League starts in a fortnight, and Xabi Alonso’s team have stopped winning.

After three routine victories over Crawley, Bromley and Western Sydney Wanderers, the mood was light. Two defeats later – a stoppage-time collapse against 10-man Tottenham in Australia and a flat 1-0 loss to Juventus in Hong Kong – the tone has changed. Not to panic, not yet, but to urgency.

Upcoming Matches

On Saturday in Jakarta, AC Milan provide the next examination. It is the first leg of a gruelling 24-hour double-header that will see Chelsea face Johor Darul Ta'zim in Malaysia on Sunday. The schedule is brutal. The selection calls will be, too.

Alonso's Squad

Alonso, still settling into the job, can at least lean on a fuller squad. The World Cup contingent are back, fitness levels are climbing and this Milan clash at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium is expected to showcase something close to a first-choice XI.

Mudryk Back in the Spotlight

The defeat to Juventus at Kai Tak Stadium was shaped by one swing of Edon Zhegrova’s left foot, the Kosovo winger deciding the game with a superb second-half strike. The narrative, though, belonged to Mykhailo Mudryk.

With his anti-doping disciplinary case with the FA now resolved, the Ukrainian finally returned to Chelsea colours. He is no longer a sideshow; he is an asset firmly in the shop window. Several clubs are circling for a loan move, and Jakarta could bring his first start for Chelsea since November 2024.

Alonso knows what that means. Every touch is now both an audition and a sales pitch. Deploying Mudryk from the left of an attacking three behind Joao Pedro would not only sharpen Chelsea’s cutting edge but also give potential suitors another close look.

Goalkeeper Battle and Defensive Doubts

At the other end of the pitch, nothing feels settled. Chelsea have looked unsure defensively under Alonso, and while pre-season always carries that caveat of experimentation, the lack of a consistent backline has left them exposed.

Robert Sanchez returned from injury against Juventus, yet his grip on the No1 shirt is far from secure. Young Belgian Mike Penders is pushing hard, and the Milan game offers Alonso a clear decision: stick with the senior man or test the youngster in a heavyweight friendly.

In front of them, Levi Colwill’s availability could define the night. The England defender, who missed most of last season with an anterior cruciate ligament injury, was not risked on the poor surface in Hong Kong. Neither was Cole Palmer. Both absences were described as precautionary, and both are expected to be in contention this weekend.

Colwill’s return matters more than any pre-season scoreline. Alonso needs a defensive anchor, a familiar face around whom he can build a stable unit. Without that, the back four has felt like a rotating experiment rather than a foundation.

Teenage Rise and Cobham Trust

If the Juventus loss underlined the fragility at the back, it also highlighted a bold streak in Alonso’s thinking. Mahdi Nicoll-Jazuli, just 16, started in midfield and looked like he belonged.

The Sydney-born England youth international was preferred to Romeo Lavia and Dario Essugo alongside Moises Caicedo. That is not a token gesture; that is trust. On a night when Chelsea laboured, Nicoll-Jazuli’s composure and energy stood out.

So did Geovany Quenda. The 19-year-old winger, a £40million signing from Sporting, injected rare spark into an otherwise flat display. Direct, fearless, and already carrying himself like a player ready for the Premier League, he strengthened his case for immediate involvement rather than a slow integration.

Those two performances are the kind of pre-season positives managers cling to when results wobble. They also give Alonso options as he juggles minutes across two games in two countries.

Strong XI Expected Against Milan

The pattern for the weekend is clear. Milan in Jakarta will bring the heavy artillery; Johor Darul Ta'zim in Malaysia is likely to showcase the supporting cast.

A near full-strength Chelsea XI is expected on Saturday, with Alonso leaning towards something close to this:

Penders; Palestra, Fofana, Colwill, Hato; Lavia, Caicedo; Estevao, Palmer, Mudryk; Joao Pedro.

That shape tells its own story. Caicedo as the constant, Lavia trusted alongside him. Estevao and Palmer tasked with threading passes between the lines, Mudryk stretching play from the left. Joao Pedro leading the press and offering penalty-box presence.

Colwill and Palmer still carry a question mark over their fitness, but both are pushing to feature. Their inclusion, even for limited minutes, would help restore a sense of continuity that has so far eluded Chelsea’s pre-season.

Kick-off at Gelora Bung Karno is set for 1pm BST on Saturday, August 8, 2026. Another friendly on paper. For Alonso, another chance to stop a gentle slide before it gathers speed.