Chelsea's pre-season struggles continued on Wednesday as Edon Zhegrova's left-footed rocket guided Juventus to a 1-0 victory over the Blues at Kai Tak Sports Park in Hong Kong, dealing Xabi Alonso a second successive friendly defeat.

Having beaten Western Sydney Wanderers 6-4 and lost 2-1 to Tottenham on the Australian leg of their tour, Alonso's side were hoping for an improved display in the first of three matches in Asia. But despite the Spaniard naming a relatively strong lineup — captained by Moises Caicedo and featuring a full debut for Danny Welbeck — Chelsea laboured in attack and were beaten by one real moment of quality.

Zhegrova brilliance settles low-key contest

The two teams combined for just one shot on target in a subdued first half, with Jeremie Boga forcing Robert Sanchez into a two-handed save shortly before the interval. Welbeck was among the players withdrawn by Alonso at the break, and Chelsea's first clear chance fell to another new arrival, Marco Palestra. The Italian full-back arguably should have done better after latching onto Caicedo's through-ball, but with Jamie Gittens in support, he fired straight at Mattia Perin.

Chelsea made seven more changes in the 66th minute, but they fell behind moments later. Juventus substitute Kenan Yildiz produced a sumptuous flick on the edge of the area to find Zhegrova, whose powerful strike nestled in the top-left corner.

The numbers underlined just how tight the contest was. The sides combined for a mere 1.25 expected goals, with Chelsea contributing 0.61 xG and Juventus 0.64. Zhegrova's winner was a bolt from the blue — the shot carried an xG value of just 0.04 — but Chelsea could have few complaints after failing to generate anything better than Palestra's 51st-minute sighter, which registered an xG of 0.2.

Palmer and Colwill absences 'not a big thing', says Alonso

There were several notable omissions from the squad, including Cole Palmer, Levi Colwill, Enzo Fernandez and British-record signing Morgan Rogers. Joao Pedro, Robert Sanchez, Wesley Fofana and Jamie Gittens all started, alongside recent arrivals Welbeck, Geovany Quenda and Palestra.

Following the match, Alonso moved to reassure supporters over the condition of Palmer and Colwill, insisting neither player had a serious problem.

"They had some discomfort; Cole with a contact injury and Levi as well," Alonso told the club's website. "It's not a big thing, but we want to be cautious because there's no point in risking anything. So, we'll go step by step, day by day."

Palmer was pictured taking part in an open training session the day before the game, though his involvement was restricted. After shining in Chelsea's Club World Cup triumph last year, the England international endured a difficult 2025-26 Premier League campaign as the Blues finished a lowly 10th, recording his worst figures for games played (26), minutes played (1,965), total goal involvements (11), goals (10), assists (one) and open-play goals (five) in a single league season for the club.

Emotional Mudryk return after 20 months out

One positive on the night was the sight of Mykhailo Mudryk back on the pitch. The Ukrainian winger came on in the 82nd minute for his first appearance in 20 months, having not played since a Conference League win over Heidenheim in November 2024. He received a four-year suspension after returning an adverse finding for the banned substance meldonium, but appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport and had the ban overturned.

Alonso was delighted to see the winger receive a warm reception from the Chelsea fans in attendance, even if Mudryk was unable to bring any cutting edge to the attack as Juventus held firm.

"It was emotional for everyone from the club to see him back," Alonso said. "When I told him before the game that he could play 10 or 15 minutes, he was thrilled for sure. It was after such a long period, so it was a great feeling for him and everyone else.

"It was more than a football decision. It was a human and emotional decision to give him this boost, to feel the great support and the reception when he came on the pitch."

What's next for Chelsea

Chelsea are clearly a work in progress heading into Alonso's first season at the helm, having won one and lost two of their friendlies so far, and the head coach will want more — particularly in attack. The Blues face AC Milan in Jakarta on Saturday before taking on Johor Darul Ta'zim in Malaysia, then returning home to face Real Sociedad at Stamford Bridge in their final friendly.