Chelsea lose again in pre-season friendly as Mudryk returns

Chelsea suffered a 1-0 defeat to Juventus in a pre-season friendly on Wednesday, extending their winless run in preparations for the 2026-27 season.

Edon Zhegrova scored the decisive goal in the 68th minute, with his long-range effort proving enough to hand the Italian giants victory.

The result marked Chelsea’s second consecutive pre-season defeat after Saturday’s 2-1 loss to Tottenham Hotspur.

Manager Xabi Alonso started Danny Welbeck alongside Joao Pedro in attack, but the veteran striker found it difficult to make an impact on his debut appearance for the Blues.

As expected, Alonso made several changes during the second half as he continued to assess his squad and build match fitness ahead of the new campaign.

Read Also: Chelsea’s Mudryk could return on Wednesday after drugs suspension

Chelsea are still awaiting the return of several players, but questions remain over the depth of the squad as they prepare for the Premier League season, where they will be aiming to secure a return to the top five.

The match also saw Mykhailo Mudryk make his first appearance in 20 months.

The Ukraine international had been provisionally suspended after returning an adverse analytical finding for the banned substance meldonium, but he has now resolved his case with the Football Association and came on as a substitute in the 82nd minute.

Juventus, meanwhile, maintained their perfect pre-season record with a third consecutive victory, keeping a clean sheet in each of those matches as they continue preparations for the new campaign.

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