Three winners and three losers from Chelsea’s pre-season defeat to Juventus

There was a first start for the club for Geovany Quenda and Danny Welbeck, while Mykhailo Mudryk also took to the pitch for the first time in nearly two years.

CONFIRMED Chelsea XI vs Juventus!

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Winners and losers from Chelsea’s defeat to Juventus

The Chelsea Chronicle have listed the three big winners and losers from Chelsea’s defeat to Serie A opposition in Hong Kong.

Winners

Geovany Quenda

In a game where Chelsea’s attacking talent struggled to stand out, Quenda was the bright spot for the Blues in the final third.

The winger was making his first appearance since his move from Sporting, and looked dangerous on the right-wing, particularly when cutting in and crossing with his left foot.

He only played 45 minutes before being replaced by Estevao, with the duo set for an interesting battle for minutes going into the 2026/27 season.

Marco Palestra

If the defeat to Spurs showed off Marco Palestra’s defensive capabilities, it was his attacking skills that shone through against Juventus.

Frequently the Italian linked up with Quenda down the right to great effect, and he came close to scoring for the Blues early in the first half.

It was also notable that Chelsea faced no defensive issues until they made widespread changes, with Palestra one of those who came off.

Thoughts after another pre-season defeat under Xabi Alonso?🤔

Mahdi Nicoll-Jazuli

For someone who is just 16 years of age, Mahdi Nicoll-Jazuli slotted in seamlessly to a Chelsea midfield which also included Moises Caicedo.

The youngster’s desire to get on the ball was a real boost for the Chelsea defenders behind him, who were notably struggling with passing on the dodgy surface.

It remains to be seen what is in store for the 2026/27 season for Nicoll-Jazuli, however he will have left a lasting impression on Xabi Alonso already.

Losers

Nicolas Jackson

In his first appearance of any kind for Chelsea since the Club World Cup, Nicolas Jackson failed to make any sort of impact, and was actually a negative on the club’s attack.

There was no linkup at all with Estevao, Joao Pedro or Liam Delap depending on who was on the pitch alongside him.

The addition of Welbeck already made it unlikely that he would continue in the squad, and this performance won’t have helped his case at all.

Jamie Gittens

With Morgan Rogers waiting in the wings, every performance from Jamie Gittens is going to be scrutinised, and this was far from his best one.

There was very little threat from the Englishman in the time he was on the pitch, with the Blues finding more joy down the opposite flank.

Despite not yet joining up with the pre-season tour, it is still expected Rogers will be starting for the first game of the season.

Xabi Alonso

For the second successive pre-season game, Alonso’s subs have not had the desired effect, and actually contributed to them losing the game.

The Spaniard using these games to work out who is good enough for next season is admirable, although some of the depth and youngsters available are quickly proving they are not ready for next season.

Results are never the key takeaway from pre-season games, however there will be some pressure to deliver a positive scoreline in the upcoming pre-season games.