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See the full story · 1 sourcesChelsea vs Western Sydney – Match preview and team news
Xabi Alonso’s Chelsea is set to begin their pre-season journey against Australia’s Western Sydney on Tuesday at the Accor Stadium.
Chelsea vs Western Sydney – Match preview and team news
Date: Tuesday, 28th July.
Kick-off: 10:45am BST.
Venue: Accor Stadium.
Chealsea team news
Chelsea face a heavily depleted squad for their pre-season opener in Australia under new manager Xabi Alonso.
The Blues are missing several core players due to post-tournament rest and recovery. Key international stars including Reece James, Trevoh Chalobah, Pedro Neto, and Enzo Fernández are entirely absent following their late-stage World Cup participation.
Furthermore, new arrivals Emmanuel Emegha and Geovany Quenda did not travel to Sydney, having stayed behind in London to nurse minor physical knocks.
Club-record signing Morgan Rogers has also not yet linked up with the traveling party. Despite these major absences, Chelsea fans will see plenty of star power.
Cole Palmer, João Pedro, and highly anticipated winger Estêvão are fully fit and expected to play significant minutes. Additionally, new defensive signing Marco Palestra is in line to make his unofficial debut for the club.
Western Sydney team news
Western Sydney Wanderers enter this high-profile friendly with a distinct advantage in match sharpness under their new boss Ufuk Talay.
Unlike their English Premier League opponents, the Australian side has already tasted competitive action this month, coming off a solid 2-0 victory against Tigers FC in the Australia Cup.
This competitive minutes injection gives the squad a strong fitness baseline ahead of facing elite opposition.
In a major squad boost, forward Nicolas Milanovic is back in selection contention and is expected to feature heavily after rejoining the club on Friday.
Talay will look to exploit Chelsea’s lack of pre-season rhythm and travel fatigue by deploying a sharp, match-fit lineup.
The match serves as a massive platform for the A-League squad to test their tactical discipline against a European giant transitioning into a new era under a new manager.
Form
Chelsea
Chelsea enter this fixture navigating a major transitional phase. This pre-season friendly marks the official beginning of the Xabi Alonso era, following his appointment as head manager. Form-wise, the Blues are essentially starting from scratch. They ended their patchy 2025/26 Premier League campaign in 10th place. With zero minutes of active pre-season football played so far this summer, the London club is severely lacking match sharpness and cohesion ahead of their Australian tour debut.
Western Sydney
Western Sydney Wanderers head into the match already holding a distinct fitness edge over their English opponents. The club is desperate for a fresh start under boss Ufuk Talay after a dismal domestic run where they finished bottom of the A-League. Fortunately, they gained a vital confidence boost last week. The Wanderers secured a solid 2-0 victory against Tigers FC in the Australia Cup, establishing a match-fit baseline.
Predicted lineups
Chelsea: Jorgensen; Fofana, Subuloye, Colwill; Palestra, Nicoll-Jazuli, Watson, Kavuma-McQueen; Palmer, Gittens; Pedro
Western Sidyney: Vidackovic; Madanha, Ferreyra, Pantazopoulos, Gersbach; Scicluna, Thurgate; Di Pizio, Hammond, Gillion; Borrello
How to watch Chelsea vs Western Sydney?
You can stream the match live in the UK online via CFC+, Chelsea’s official global subscription platform.
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