Chelsea head coach Xabi Alonso has addressed the fitness of Cole Palmer and Levi Colwill after both players sat out the club's pre-season friendly defeat to Juventus, insisting neither issue is serious enough to cause long-term concern.
Palmer and Colwill had featured for 80 minutes in Chelsea's 2-1 loss to Tottenham Hotspur in Sydney last week, but their fitness came into question when Palmer was seen training separately from the main squad during a session in Hong Kong on Tuesday, while Colwill did not take part at all.
With Chelsea preparing to face AC Milan at the Madya Stadium in Indonesia on Saturday, Alonso used a press conference to clarify the situation surrounding the two players, downplaying suggestions that either was dealing with a significant injury.
"Yes, they had a few, not injuries, discomforts," Alonso told reporters. "Cole with a whack and Levi as well, so no point to take today's risk and hopefully they will be fine for Saturday."
The Spanish coach was particularly keen to dispel any fears that Palmer's issue was linked to the groin problem that disrupted his form and availability for large parts of last season. According to Alonso, the England international's latest knock stemmed directly from Chelsea's match against Tottenham rather than being a recurrence of that troublesome injury.
"No, it's a whack, a contact injury that he had against Spurs. So it's not that," Alonso explained, seeking to reassure supporters that Palmer's underlying fitness issue from last term remains unaffected.
Colwill's situation carries slightly more weight given his recent injury history. The young defender only returned to full fitness a short time ago after being sidelined for the majority of the 2025-26 season with an anterior cruciate ligament injury, which he suffered during pre-season preparations. His prolonged absence was a significant blow to Chelsea's defensive options, making his continued recovery and gradual reintegration into the squad a matter of careful management for the coaching staff.
By opting to withhold both players from training in Hong Kong, Alonso appears to be prioritizing caution over risk as Chelsea continue their pre-season schedule across Asia. With a fixture against AC Milan on the horizon, the decision not to push either man through unnecessary training exposure suggests the club is eager to have them available and fully fit rather than risk aggravating minor knocks into more serious problems.
Chelsea's pre-season tour has already included a setback against Tottenham in Sydney, and the club will be keen to bounce back with a positive performance against Milan. Whether Palmer and Colwill are deemed ready to feature will likely become clearer in the build-up to kickoff, but Alonso's comments suggest optimism that both will be available.
As Chelsea continue fine-tuning their squad ahead of the new campaign, the fitness of key figures like Palmer, who was instrumental for the club last season, and Colwill, who is working his way back from a serious injury, remains a central storyline. The coaching staff's cautious approach reflects a broader strategy of building squad depth and match sharpness without compromising the long-term health of important players.
Based on reporting from standard-football.