Emotional Return for Mudryk

Ukrainian winger Mykhailo Mudryk came on as a substitute for Nicolas Jackson in the 82nd minute, drawing applause from his teammates and loud cheers from Chelsea fans in the 43,575 crowd at Kai Tak Sports Park. Xabi Alonso hailed Mudryk's "emotional" return to the team, stating that it was a great feeling for him to be back on the pitch after a long period.

Mudryk has not played a competitive match since November 2024, having been provisionally suspended after returning an "adverse finding" for the banned substance meldonium. However, the 25-year-old was cleared to return to action after resolving the case with the Football Association.

Juventus Take the Spoils

Despite a lively cameo on the left side, Mudryk was unable to stop Juventus taking the spoils courtesy of a wonderful second-half strike from the Kosovo international Edon Zhegrova. Zhegrova curled a stunning strike into the top corner from outside the box in the 68th minute, breaking the deadlock and securing a 1-0 win for Juventus.

Chelsea's Preseason Continues

Neither side could find the breakthrough in a drab first half as two experimental lineups struggled to create clearcut chances. Danny Welbeck could have scored a goal on his first appearance in a Chelsea shirt but the veteran England striker failed to direct a flicked header on target.

Early in the second half a long ball from Moisés Caicedo put the new signing Marco Palestra in on goal but his tame shot could not beat Mattia Perin. Both sides rang the changes but Chelsea could not find a cutting edge.

Milan and Inter Pay Tribute to Baresi

Meanwhile, in Perth, Milan and Inter players paid tribute to Franco Baresi before their match, observing a minute's silence in front of 52,310 fans. The Serie A champions Inter were on course for the bragging rights after Federico Dimarco's strike from close range in the 52nd minute.

However, Christopher Nkunku converted a late penalty as Milan salvaged a draw with Inter in a lacklustre preseason derby. The match was the first for Milan since the death of Franco Baresi, who captained the club during a golden era in the 1980s and 1990s.

Chelsea's Next Match

Chelsea's next match is against Milan in Jakarta on Saturday, before rounding off preseason with games against Malaysia's Johor Darul Ta'zim and Spain's Real Sociedad. The Blues will be looking to bounce back from their defeat to Juventus and get their preseason campaign back on track.

In conclusion, Mykhailo Mudryk's return to Chelsea's lineup was a welcome sight for the fans, but it wasn't enough to prevent a defeat to Juventus. The Blues will be looking to regroup and get back to winning ways in their next match against Milan.