Chelsea vs Milan: Pre-Season Showdown in Jakarta
Chelsea and Milan meet again, a long way from Europe’s glare, but there is nothing low-key about the problems and possibilities facing both managers in Jakarta.
On Saturday at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, under the heavy Indonesian heat and with a 1pm BST kick-off, Xabi Alonso and Rúben Amorim go head-to-head with squads stretched by the World Cup and shaped by summer experiments. It is “only” pre-season on paper. On the pitch, it is something closer to an audition.
Alonso juggling absences and opportunity
Alonso’s Chelsea arrive in Jakarta short on bodies and short on rhythm.
The World Cup has stripped him of a core of first‑team regulars. Enzo Fernández, Reece James, Malo Gusto, Jordan Henderson, Maxence Lacroix, Morgan Rogers and Valentín Barco are all out of contention as they build back their fitness. That list alone would form the spine of most Premier League sides. For Alonso, it is a headache and a chance rolled into one.
Chelsea’s summer started with a win over Western Sydney Wanderers, but the early optimism has faded. A narrow defeat to Tottenham Hotspur was followed by a flat 1-0 loss to Juventus in Hong Kong. The patterns Alonso wants are not yet there. The chemistry isn’t either.
So he turns to what he has.
Cole Palmer and Levi Colwill are expected to return after being rested against Juventus with minor knocks. Palmer’s creativity between the lines has already become a reference point for this new‑look Chelsea, while Colwill’s left-footed balance at the back is central to how Alonso wants to build from deep. Their reintroduction should immediately sharpen both ends of the pitch.
There is also a more intriguing comeback story. Mykhailo Mudryk, finally back after a 20‑month anti-doping suspension, is in line for more minutes after a brief substitute outing last time out. Every touch now is part rehabilitation, part redefinition of a career that stalled just as it was supposed to explode.
Behind the headlines, the squad is shifting. Trevoh Chalobah has been left out of the touring party altogether as he moves closer to a permanent exit from Stamford Bridge. His absence opens doors. New signing Danny Welbeck, experienced, mobile and still clever in his movement, will feel this is a rare early chance to stake a claim. So will young winger Geovany Quenda, who suddenly finds himself closer to the front of the queue than he might have imagined a month ago.
Alonso’s likely starting XI underlines the transition. Penders in goal, with Palestra, Colwill and Acheampong across the back, and Palestra doubling up in wide areas. Moisés Caicedo and Roméo Lavia anchoring midfield, Estevao and Palmer supporting Gittens and Pedro in attack. It is a side that blends potential with fragility, one that could thrill or creak within the same half-hour.
Milan rotate, but keep their edge
Across the technical area, Amorim faces his own constraints.
Christian Pulisic will not get his reunion with Chelsea. The former Stamford Bridge winger is officially ruled out with a persistent thigh injury suffered during his World Cup campaign. New defender Mario Gila is also sidelined and will play no part. Two high-profile absentees, two problems in both boxes.
Yet Milan have shown a stubborn streak on this tour. They opened with a wild 2-2 draw against Celtic, then dug out a 1-1 draw against Inter Milan in Perth, Christopher Nkunku grabbing the equaliser in the derby. Different continents, similar pattern: Milan fall behind, Milan respond.
The derby in Australia was intense, the turnaround brutally short. Amorim is expected to rotate heavily in Jakarta to protect legs and test combinations. That rotation should give the game a different flavour.
Luka Modrić, still dictating tempo deep into his late 30s, is tipped to start in midfield, bringing control and experience to a side that has been forced to chase games. Up front, Gonçalo Ramos is in line to lead the attack, a focal point for the runs of Nkunku and the width of the wing-backs.
Nkunku, fully fit and already among the goals, is set to feature prominently again. His movement between the lines and knack for arriving in scoring positions will stretch a Chelsea defence still learning each other’s habits.
Milan’s predicted shape reflects Amorim’s intent: Torriani in goal; Terracciano, Gabbia and Tomori as a back three; Saelemaekers and Estupiñan providing the width; Fofana and Jashari in midfield; Chukwueze and Nkunku supporting Ramos. There is balance, there is pace, and there is enough firepower to punish any pre-season sloppiness.
A friendly with sharp edges
Strip away the branding and this is a classic pre-season crossroad.
Chelsea are searching for fluency and a first response under Alonso after back-to-back defeats. They need to show that the Western Sydney win was a starting point, not a high-water mark. Individual stories matter: Mudryk’s return, Palmer’s influence, Welbeck’s integration, Quenda’s emergence. But the collective picture matters more.
Milan, unbeaten but not yet convincing, are trying to turn resilience into control. Two draws against Celtic and Inter show character; Jakarta offers a chance to show authority with Modrić pulling the strings and Ramos leading the line.
Jakarta will not decide a season. It will not hand out trophies or define legacies. What it can do, in the heat and noise of Gelora Bung Karno, is offer a glimpse of where these two evolving teams are heading – and who is ready to grab a place in that journey before the real football starts.
