Colwill, Neto, Palmer: Predicted Chelsea XI For AC Milan Pre-Season Friendly | OneFootball

Previewing Chelsea's pre-season friendly against AC Milan. Video Credit: Absolute Chelsea

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Chelsea will look to bounce back after two consecutive pre-season defeats as they face AC Milan in Indonesia on Saturday.

While it is pre-season, a win over Milan would certainly help boost the team’s morale heading into the season.

Chelsea suffered back-to-back losses: 2-1 against 10-man Tottenham Hotspur last week and 1-0 against Juventus on Wednesday, despite controlling the majority of both games.

Spurs scored a late winner through Richarlison after catching Chelsea’s defence off guard, while Juventus got their win through one of their only two shots on target in the game.

Xabi Alonso will still have to work without some of the club’s biggest stars, such as Reece James and Enzo Fernandez, who remain on leave after the World Cup, but the manager has plenty of quality in his squad to beat Milan.

Who are the likely Chelsea starters vs AC Milan?

Alonso is expected to continue to give Robert Sanchez and Mike Penders 45 minutes each, as he did in the Juventus game, amid competition between the two goalkeepers.

Levi Colwill was left out of the squad against Juventus due to a minor issue, but will hope to be available to face Milan.

If he is fit, he is expected to start alongside Josh Achempong, who did not make the starting 11 in the last two games.

Marco Palestra and Jorrel Hato, however, will likely keep their starting spots at right-back and left-back, respectively.

In midfield, Moises Caicedo is expected to start again, but this time alongside Dario Essugo.

Similar to Colwill, Palmer, who was absent against Juventus, may return as the starting number 10.

Alonso will be keen to have Palmer back in the side as quickly as possible. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu

However, if Palmer is deemed not fit enough to start, Welbeck may fill this spot as a second striker.

Estevao Willian is expected to replace Geovany Quenda on the right wing, while Pedro Neto could make his first pre-season appearance on the left flank.

If Neto starts on the right, then either Mykhailo Mudryk or Dastan Satpayev may start on the left instead.

Alonso may decide to give Joao Pedro some rest after starting in the last two games and opt to start Nicolas Jackson or Liam Delap up front.

Jackson has not had much opportunity in the pre-season, after agreeing to make way for Mudryk’s return to the pitch in the second half against Juventus, so he should be quite fresh to start.

Even so, Alonso could still opt for Joao Pedro, given he is expected to field a heavily-rotated side in the next pre-season friendly against Johor Darul Ta’zim in Malaysia on Sunday.

Sanchez, Palestra, Acheampong, Colwill, Hato, Caicedo, Essugo, Estevao, Palmer, Neto, Jackson