Mykhailo Mudryk marked an emotional return to action for Chelsea after nearly two years away, coming off the bench in a preseason friendly defeat to Juventus in Hong Kong, while Milan and Inter played out a tribute-laden draw in Perth following the death of club legend Franco Baresi.
Mudryk entered the pitch as a substitute for Nicolas Jackson in the 82nd minute at Kai Tak Sports Park, greeted by applause from his teammates and cheers from a crowd of 43,575. It was his first appearance for Chelsea since November 2024, when he was provisionally suspended after an adverse doping finding involving meldonium. The Ukrainian winger has since resolved his case with the Football Association and been cleared to resume playing.
Despite Mudryk's energetic cameo down the left flank, Chelsea could not avoid a 1-0 loss, with Juventus winger Edon Zhegrova producing the decisive moment. The Kosovo international curled a brilliant effort into the top corner from range in the 68th minute after being set up by Kenan Yildiz, settling a match that had been short on quality chances.
Chelsea head coach Xabi Alonso spoke warmly about Mudryk's comeback afterward. "Really pleased for him. It was emotional for everyone from the club to see him back," Alonso said. "He was thrilled, for sure. After such a long period, to be back on the pitch, it was a great feeling for him."
The opening 45 minutes offered little in the way of drama, with both managers fielding largely experimental lineups. Danny Welbeck, making his first appearance since joining Chelsea, nearly opened the scoring with a flicked header but could not direct it on target. Early in the second half, new signing Marco Palestra was played through by a long ball from Moisés Caicedo but failed to test Juventus goalkeeper Mattia Perin with a tame effort.
Alonso reflected on his side's overall display, noting periods of control before a flurry of substitutions disrupted the rhythm. "I think we started pretty well. The first 30, 35 minutes, we have played with good control, we have created a few chances. And the second half, there were many changes. The game was not that controlled and stable with all the substitutions," he said. "Unluckily we didn't get to win, but for sure it's the process, it's minutes for everyone."
Chelsea's preseason schedule continues with a clash against Milan in Jakarta on Saturday, followed by matches against Malaysian side Johor Darul Ta'zim and Spanish club Real Sociedad.
Meanwhile in Perth, Milan and Inter shared a 1-1 draw in a subdued derby that carried heavy emotional weight. The fixture was the first for Milan since the passing of Franco Baresi, the club's iconic former captain who led the team through a period of dominance in the 1980s and 1990s. Before kickoff, players from both sides observed a minute's silence, standing arm in arm in a show of unity and respect.
On the pitch, Inter looked set to claim bragging rights after Federico Dimarco converted from close range in the 52nd minute to put the Serie A champions ahead in front of 52,310 spectators. However, Milan found a leveler late on when Christopher Nkunku was fouled by Carlos Augusto in the box in the 83rd minute. Nkunku stepped up himself and calmly dispatched the resulting penalty to secure a share of the spoils.
Based on reporting from Guardian Football.