Why did Cole Palmer & Joao Pedro miss Johor Darul Ta'zim vs Chelsea pre-season friendly?
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The Blues will take on Fulham in their opening game of Premier League 2026-27!
Cole Palmer’s Chelsea were back in action for another club friendly contest. They faced the Malaysian Super League champions, Johor Darul Ta’zim, at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium.
The English Premier League side is coming in after securing a 3-0 win against AC Milan in their previous outing. Their record in the ongoing pre-season campaign has not been very impressive. Xabi Alonso still has some issues to figure. In their first three pre-season games, Chelsea conceded six goals. Even though they did not concede against the Rossoneri, the Blues should look at a foolproof solution as the new season is around the corner.
They finished 10th in the English top division last season and are hence not going to play European football this season. They will still have a chance to secure the domestic treble, but it is going to be a lot of hard work for them. Under a new manager, Chelsea will be hoping for positive results this time around.
Also Read: Chelsea 3-0 AC Milan: Five key takeaways from pre-season friendly
Why did Cole Palmer & Joao Pedro miss out?
Both of these stars have been rested for the Johor Darul Ta’zim vs Chelsea pre-season friendly. Cole Palmer and Joao Pedro were on the field for over 80 minutes against AC Milan on Saturday.
The Blues battled it out against the Malaysian club on the very next day.
Xabi Alonso said, “We wanted to have a logical progression in their loads, so we had our plan and we’ve stuck to that. We have another idea [against Johor]; that was decided yesterday (Friday). The idea is that many young players were coming to have chances to play tomorrow.”
Dario Essugo donned the captain’s armband for Chelsea, with Mahdi Nicoll-Jazuli also playing an important role in the midfield instead of Cole Palmer.
Liam Delap and Nicolas Jackson were deployed in a two-striker setup, replacing Joao Pedro.
Who will Chelsea face in their first Premier League 2026-27 game?
The Blues will battle it out against Fulham on August 24.
Who is Chelsea’s new manager?
Xabi Alonso.
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Dilpreet is a dedicated football writer with a keen eye for World Football. As a proud Real Madrid fan, we believe his work reflects the same ambition and precision. Since joining Khel Now in 2025, he has crafted stories beyond scores, diving into tactics, culture, and emotion. With a strong background in content writing, he blends clarity with creativity, always aiming to bring the beautiful game closer to readers.