Chelsea will kick off their pre-season schedule on Tuesday with a clash against Australia’s Western Sydney Wanderers at the Accor Stadium.
This match signals the start of a new chapter for the club, as Xabi Alonso officially takes charge as head coach. The Blues are effectively starting from scratch after a disappointing 2025/26 Premier League campaign, which saw them finish 10th. With no pre-season matches played so far, Chelsea head into this fixture short on match fitness and overall rhythm, making their Australian opener a challenging starting point.
Chelsea team news
The squad travelling to Australia is far from full strength, with several important players unavailable.
A number of key names are still recovering after international duty, including Reece James, Trevoh Chalobah, Pedro Neto, and Enzo Fernández, all of whom featured in the latter stages of the World Cup.
In addition, summer signings Emmanuel Emegha and Geovany Quenda have remained in London as they deal with minor injury concerns.
Big-money recruit Morgan Rogers is also yet to join up with the squad, adding to Chelsea’s list of absentees for this opening game.
Despite these setbacks, supporters will still have plenty to look forward to. Cole Palmer, João Pedro, and exciting young winger Estêvão are all fit and expected to feature prominently.
There is also anticipation around Marco Palestra, who could make his first unofficial appearance following his recent move to the club.
Chelsea predicted lineup
Possible Chelsea starting XI: Jorgensen; Fofana, Subuloye, Colwill; Palestra, Nicoll-Jazuli, Watson, Kavuma-McQueen; Palmer, Gittens; Pedro
When will the match kick off?
The match will kick off at 10:45am BST on Tuesday, 28th July.
How to watch Chelsea vs Western Sydney?
Fans in the UK can watch the match live through CFC+, Chelsea’s official global streaming service.
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