Chelsea manager, Xabi Alonso, has made a decision regarding Mykhailo Mudryk’s participation in preseason training as the new season approaches.
During his pre-match press conference in Hong Kong, Alonso discussed the upcoming third match of the preseason tour for the Blues, confirming that the winger will be included in the lineup against Juventus.
On Sunday afternoon, Chelsea and Alonso traveled over 4,500 miles from Sydney to Hong Kong for the next phase of their four-country tour.
Juventus is set to face Chelsea tomorrow (Wednesday) evening at the 50,000-capacity Kai Tak Stadium, and Alonso has been previewing this latest friendly encounter.
While the match itself was a topic of discussion, the primary focus of Alonso’s press conference is likely to be on the returning Mykhailo Mudryk.
Following the resolution of his anti-doping suspension last week, the 25-year-old Ukrainian winger has received clearance to return to competitive football, and he was reunited with his Chelsea teammates yesterday.
Alonso said, “He has been training alone for a long time. It is different now; he needs to engage with his teammates. He is very professional. The goal now is to progress gradually.
“He arrived directly from the airport to the hotel. Yesterday was more about emotions and feelings rather than evaluating his fitness. However, he is eligible to play. While 90 minutes may be too soon, he can be selected and participate.
“We are excited that Misha is back with us. You could see his smile and the joy he feels to return. As for his fitness level, we will assess that. He has been putting in a lot of effort. Now, it is about integrating him into team activities.”
Pre-season: Xabi Alonso takes decision on Mykhailo Mudryk ahead Chelsea vs Juventus