Given the arrival of Xabi Alonso, this is surely the most excited Chelsea supporters have been about a season in some time. The Blues finished tenth last season, sacking Enzo Maresca on New Year's Day, before enduring 106 with Liam Rosenior in charge, concluding the campaign with Calum McFarlane at the helm.
Now though, Alonso appears to be the most ambitious hire of the Clearlake Capital-era, hence why Chelsea supporters have sky-high expectations. Ahead of their opening Premier League fixture against Fulham at Craven Cottage, here is your complete guide to Chelsea's pre-season.
Who are Chelsea facing in pre-season?
- Tuesday 28 July. Western Sydney Wanderers. Kick off 7:45pm (local) and 10:45 (BST). Stadium Australia, Sydney.
- Saturday 1 August. Tottenham Hotspur. Kick off 7:45pm (local) and 10:45 (BST). Stadium Australia, Sydney.
- Wednesday 5 August. Juventus. Kick off 7:30pm (local) and 12:30 (BST). Kai Tak Sports Park, Hong Kong.
- Saturday 8 August. AC Milan. Kick off 7pm (local) and 1pm (BST). Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, Indonesia.
- Sunday 9 August. Johor Darul Ta'zim. Kick off 8pm (local) and 1pm (BST). Sultan Ibrahim Stadium, Malaysia.
- Saturday 15 August. Real Sociedad. Kick off 2pm (BST). Stamford Bridge, West London.
A dive into Chelsea's pre-season opponents
Chelsea are travelling further than any other Premier League club during this pre-season. Their first stop is Australia, taking on Western Sydney Wanderers. The Red and Blacks finished rock-bottom of the A-League last season, winning only five of 26 matches. Thus, they too have a new manager in charge, with Ufuk Talay taking over, arriving from Sydney FC. The new A-League campaign does not start until 16 October, so they are very early in their pre-season.
The Blues' other opponents at Stadium Australia are significantly more familiar foes. On 1 August, they will take on fierce rivals Tottenham Hotspur. The pair will meet again in the Premier League in late-October and early-May.
After that, Alonso's side will travel to Hong Kong and then Indonesia for clashes with two Italian giants. First up are Juventus, who endured a disastrous campaign last time round, finishing sixth in Serie A, so the Vecchia Signora will enter the Europa League group stages for the first time since 2010. Despite this, they have shown faith in head coach Luciano Spalletti, who arrived in October.
After that, in Jakarta, Chelsea will face AC Milan, who too missed out on Champions League qualification from Serie A, finishing fifth. Thus, they sacked Massimiliano Allegri in May and, clearly impressed by his work at Manchester United, have appointed Rúben Amorim. I think we can say with some certainty, the Rossoneri will be in a back three for this clash at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium.
The following day, 570 miles north in Malaysia, the Blues will take on Johor Darul Ta'zim. They are the current Malaysia Super League champions, their 12th successive title, albeit Opta believe this to be the 154th strongest league in the world, just above the Faroese league and 12 spots below Serie C. The Southern Tigers are managed by former Watford and Sheffield Wednesday boss Xisco Muñoz, but are not likely to provide the highest level of opposition albeit, given that they're playing two matches in two countries in 24 hours, it is lucky Chelsea have such a big squad.
Lastly, back at Stamford Bridge, Alonso will fittingly face his former side Real Sociedad. La Real won the Copa del Rey in April, so are preparing for a Europa League campaign, also facing Wolves and Aston Villa during a pre-season visit to Walsall.
Which Chelsea players are missing pre-season?
Chelsea had 11 representatives at the World Cup, including returning loanees, many of whom went deep into the tournament, so are set to miss a sizeable amount of pre-season.
Player | Date eliminated | Can return to training date |
|---|---|---|
Jorrel Hato | 29 June | 20 July |
Moisés Caicedo | 30 June | 21 July |
Mamadou Sarr | 1 July | 22 July |
Nicolas Jackson | 1 July | 22 July |
Pedro Neto | 6 July | 27 July |
Mike Penders | 10 July | 31 July |
Malo Gusto | 18 July | 8 August |
Morgan Rogers | 18 July | 8 August |
Trevoh Chalobah | 18 July | 8 August |
Reece James | 18 July | 8 August |
Enzo Fernández | 19 July | 9 August |
After their nations crashed out in the round of 32, Jorrel Hato, Moisés Caicedo and the returning Nicolas Jackson are among those set to be involved in the first pre-season fixtures, following their mandatory three week holiday period. On the flip side, having been involved all the way until the final weekend of the World Cup, Malo Gusto, Trevoh Chalobah, Reece James and Enzo Fernández will miss the entire Asian tour.
Which players could Chelsea fans see for the first time?
As already alluded to, given England's run to the semi-finals, Chelsea fans will have to wait to see their first glimpse of Morgan Rogers on a pitch in a blue shirt. This is likely to only come in the final pre season fixture of the summer against Real Sociedad at Stamford Bridge.
However, there are some new faces to cast an eye over. Right-back Marco Palestra has arrived from Atalanta for £43 million, while striker Emmanuel Emegha, who was Strasbourg's captain, has moved from one BlueCo operate to another. Meantime, Chelsea agreed a deal with Sporting CP to sign Geovany Quenda back in March 2025, paying £40 million, but has only just arrived. Two more highly-rated teenagers have also signed, namely Dastan Satpaev from Kairat and Brazilian left-back Denner.
Lastly, returning loanees such as Mike Penders, Aarón Anselmino and Jackson will be looking to prove their worth to Alonso.
How can I watch Chelsea's pre-season fixtures?
All pre-season matches will be available to watch on CFC+. Certain fixtures are also available on various global broadcasters, including Paramount+ in Australia, Sky Italia, Claro Sports in Latin and South America as well as DAZN in Germany and Japan - check local listings.
Add us as a preferred source on Google