| Chelsea vs Milan | |
| MATCH | Club Friendlies |
| DATE | 08 - 08 - 2026 |
| TIME | 05.30 PM IST |
| STADIUM | Stadium |
Chelsea vs AC Milan Match Preview
Chelsea’s early progress under new head coach Xabi Alonso has been far from convincing. After finishing 10th in the Premier League last season, the Blues were expected to show signs of improvement during their Asian tour, but results have raised fresh concerns.
A chaotic 6-4 win over Western Sydney Wanderers exposed defensive weaknesses, and those issues remained evident in a 2-1 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur, despite Chelsea playing most of the second half with a numerical advantage following Kevin Danso’s red card.
The Blues then suffered another setback in Hong Kong, where Edon Zhegrova’s second-half goal secured a 1-0 victory for Juventus, leaving Chelsea with back-to-back defeats and increasing anxiety among supporters ahead of the 2026-27 campaign.
With only 19 days remaining before their Premier League opener against Fulham, Alonso is still searching for the right balance between attack and defence as Chelsea prepare for the penultimate stop of their pre-season tour in Indonesia.
Their opponents are AC Milan, a side Chelsea beat comfortably 4-1 in a friendly last August, with Liam Delap scoring twice. That result extended Chelsea’s unbeaten run against the Rossoneri to five matches, and the overall record is strongly in the London club’s favour, with eight wins, three draws and only two defeats in 13 meetings.
Milan are also beginning a new era under Ruben Amorim, who has replaced Massimiliano Allegri after the club’s disappointing fifth-place finish in Serie A last season.
The Portuguese coach has yet to enjoy an ideal start. Milan drew 2-2 with Celtic after trailing by two goals at half-time, and they followed that with a 1-1 draw against Inter Milan, where former Chelsea forward Christopher Nkunku converted a late penalty to rescue a result.
Although the Rossoneri remain unbeaten in pre-season, their performances have lacked consistency, and Amorim still has significant work to do to convince the San Siro faithful that progress is being made.
Facing Chelsea offers Milan an opportunity to improve a poor recent record against English opposition, having won just two of their last 14 meetings with Premier League clubs since March 2012.
For Chelsea, the priority is regaining confidence and defensive stability after successive defeats. For Milan, it is about showing greater attacking quality and building momentum before their final pre-season fixture against Manchester United.
Team News
Chelsea could give another appearance to new signing Danny Welbeck, although he is not expected to start. Maxence Lacroix, Enzo Fernandez, Malo Gusto, Morgan Rogers and Reece James have not yet returned from their World Cup commitments.
Cole Palmer and Levi Colwill missed the defeat to Juventus with minor issues, but Alonso is hopeful both will be available for this match.
In goal, Robert Sanchez and Mike Penders are competing for the number one spot heading into the new season.
Nicolas Jackson was substituted at half-time against Juventus as part of a planned workload management decision, while Mykhaylo Mudryk made his return after serving a lengthy doping suspension.
For Milan, Christopher Nkunku is set to face his former club for the first time since leaving Chelsea, while Fikayo Tomori and Ruben Loftus-Cheek are also expected to feature against their old side.
Christian Pulisic misses out with a thigh injury, and Mario Gila remains sidelined after being injured on his debut.
With Mike Maignan still absent following the World Cup, youngster Lorenzo Torriani is expected to continue in goal.
New signing Goncalo Ramos could be handed his first start for Milan, while Rafael Leao and Luka Modric may also be introduced from the start, although Amorim could choose a cautious approach as both continue their gradual return to full fitness.
Recent Friendly Form
Chelsea: W – L – L
AC Milan: D – D
