Chelsea are preparing for their first full season under Xabi Alonso with a pre-season programme spanning Australia and Asia before the start of the 2026-27 Premier League campaign.
The Blues have opted for an extensive overseas tour as Alonso begins implementing his ideas ahead of his debut season in charge. Chelsea will face opponents from Australia, England, Italy and Malaysia before opening their Premier League campaign away to Fulham on 24 August.
Preparations have already begun behind closed doors. Chelsea played two private friendlies at Cobham earlier this month, beating Crawley Town on 18 July before taking on Bromley on 23 July. The matches allowed Alonso to assess his squad, build match fitness and give minutes to several academy players ahead of the club’s overseas tour.
Chelsea’s first public fixture takes them to Australia, where they will face A-League side Western Sydney Wanderers before meeting Tottenham Hotspur in a pre-season London derby in Sydney. The squad will then head to Asia for three further friendlies against Juventus, AC Milan and Malaysian champions Johor Darul Ta’zim.
The tour is expected to provide Alonso with his final opportunity to fine-tune his squad before Chelsea begin their Premier League campaign against Fulham later in August.
Chelsea pre-season fixtures
18 July: Chelsea vs Crawley Town (behind closed doors) (completed)
23 July: Chelsea vs Bromley (behind closed doors) (completed)
28 July: Chelsea vs Western Sydney Wanderers โ Sydney (10.45am BST)
1 August: Chelsea vs Tottenham Hotspur โ Sydney (10.45am BST)
5 August: Chelsea vs Juventus โ Hong Kong (12.30pm BST)
8 August: Chelsea vs AC Milan โ Jakarta (1pm BST)
9 August: Johor Darul Ta’zim vs Chelsea โ Johor (1pm BST)
Chelsea will then turn their attention to the start of the Premier League season, with Fulham providing the first competitive test of the Xabi Alonso era on 24 August.
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