Mykhailo Mudryk made his return to action for Chelsea in a 1-0 friendly defeat against Juventus in Hong Kong. The match marked his first appearance for the club in nearly two years, following a provisional suspension.
Mudryk entered the game as a substitute for Nicolas Jackson in the 82nd minute, receiving applause from his teammates and cheers from the Chelsea supporters among the 43,575 attendees at Kai Tak Sports Park. The 25-year-old Ukraine international had not played a competitive match since November 2024. His return came after resolving a case with the Football Association regarding an “adverse finding” for the banned substance meldonium.
Xabi Alonso, Chelsea‘s manager, expressed his satisfaction with Mudryk’s return, describing it as an “emotional” moment for everyone at the club. Alonso noted that Mudryk was “thrilled” to be back on the pitch after such a prolonged absence.
Match details in Hong Kong
The friendly fixture saw both teams field experimental line-ups, leading to a goalless first half with limited clear-cut opportunities. Danny Welbeck, making his first appearance for Chelsea, had an early chance but could not direct a flicked header on target. New signing Marco Palestra also had an attempt saved by Mattia Perin after receiving a long ball from Moisés Caicedo.
Juventus broke the deadlock in the 68th minute. Kenan Yildiz squared the ball to Edon Zhegrova, who curled a strike into the top corner from outside the box. Despite a lively cameo on the left side from Mudryk, Chelsea were unable to find an equaliser. Alonso acknowledged that while they started well, the numerous substitutions in the second half affected the game’s control.
Several new faces featured for Chelsea, including Mike Penders, Geovany Quenda, and Danny Welbeck. Robert Sanchez returned from injury in goal, protected by a back four of Marco Palestra, Wesley Fofana, Tosin Adarabiyo, and Jorrel Hato. Moisés Caicedo captained the side and played in midfield alongside 16-year-old Mahdi Nicoll-Jazuli. The attack included Quenda, Joao Pedro, Jamie Gittens, and Welbeck.
Quenda was noted for his lively presence on his first start, linking effectively with Palestra on the right flank. He created Chelsea‘s first sight of goal with a cross that Joao Pedro glanced wide, and later had a shot blocked by a Juventus defender. Juventus‘s threat often came from counter-attacks, as they defended deeply when Chelsea had possession. Fabio Miretti caused a moment of concern for Chelsea with a poked attempt, but Sanchez made the save.
At half-time, Alonso made four changes, bringing on Penders for Sanchez, Mamdou Sarr for Tosin, Estevao for Quenda, and Nicolas Jackson for Welbeck. Jackson was immediately involved, creating an opportunity for Palestra. Later in the second half, further substitutions were made, including Josh Acheampong, Tayo Subuloye, Aaron Anselmino, Dario Essugo, Romeo Lavia, Dastan Satpayev, and Liam Delap.
In the closing stages, Chelsea pushed for an equaliser. Estevao had a free-kick saved by Perin, and Anselmino also forced a save from the goalkeeper. The final action of the game saw Romeo Lavia curl a shot towards the top corner, but it cleared the crossbar, confirming Chelsea‘s defeat.
Upcoming fixtures and other friendly results
Chelsea‘s preseason schedule continues with a match against Milan in Jakarta on Saturday. Following this, they will conclude their preseason with games against Malaysia‘s Johor Darul Ta’zim and Spain’s Real Sociedad.
In another preseason fixture, Milan secured a draw against Inter in Perth. Christopher Nkunku converted a late penalty to level the score. The match was preceded by a minute’s silence as players from both teams linked arms to pay tribute to Franco Baresi, the former Milan captain who passed away.
Inter had initially taken the lead in the 52nd minute through Federico Dimarco‘s strike. However, Nkunku was brought down by Carlos Augusto in the 83rd minute, leading to the penalty that he converted to equalise the contest.
The Chelsea squad included Sharman-Lowe, Curd, Slonina, Diakite, Watson, Walsh, Kellyman, Kavuma-McQueen, and Neto as substitutes who did not enter the game. Caicedo and Lavia received bookings in the 62nd and 81st minutes, respectively.
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Source: theguardian.com
