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live Updated Xabi Alonso takes charge of first Chelsea game against Western Sydney Wanderers: Live team news, updates Chelsea vs Western Sydney Wanderers Latest Chelsea's pre-season campaign begins today as they face Western Sydney Wanderers in Australia.
New manager Xabi Alonso leads the Premier League side into their first match ahead of the 2026-27 season.
It will be a chance for new and existing players to impress the Spaniard, who succeeds Liam Rosenior at Stamford Bridge after a disappointing campaign.
- Start time: 5.45am ET, 7.45pm AEST (local time), 10.45am BST - How to watch: CFC+, Paramount+, CBS Sports Golazo - Join the conversation by emailing us at: [email protected] Gittens interview on title ambitions, Rogers and Alonso aura Jamie Gittens joined from Borussia Dortmund in July 2025 for an initial 48.5million.
The winger made 27 appearances, but he tore his hamstring against West Ham on January 31 and has not played a competitive game since.
When you join for such a large amount of money, making 12 starts (only five in the Premier League) is not the way you want things to go.
Fortunately, Gittens has put those painful memories behind him and scored in Chelseas friendlies against Crawley Town and Bromley Town, both staged behind closed doors in the week before they flew to Australia.
Im feeling much better, more confident now, he says to The Athletic with a big smile.
Hamstrings are good, so Im just waiting for the season to start.
I was ..
training myself to the maximum to get ready for the season.
This is such a big club.
I want to succeed here.
I need to show people what I can do.
I will keep working hard.
I have shown glimpses, small bits.
But this season will be a good season.
Gittens is on the bench today.
Did Chelsea have a good World Cup? Chelsea will feel their 120million ($160m) valuation of Enzo Fernandez is justified anyway, but it helps their cause that he played an increasingly prominent role for Argentina as the defending champions made it back to the final.
Granted, his lack of discipline to get sent off in that game was not the greatest advertisement.
But scoring key goals in knockout-stage victories against Egypt and England, against whom he dictated play, is only going to stiffen Chelseas resolve over the asking price should anyone make a bid.
There is also going to be some measure of relief that, after suffering another hamstring problem early in the tournament, club captain Reece James returned to play in Englands last three games.
From a selfish point of view, Chelsea may be quite pleased that some first-team players got knocked out early.
Moises Caicedo (Ecuador), Jorrel Hato (Netherlands) and Nicolas Jackson (Senegal) exited at the last-32 stage, with Pedro Neto (Portugal) following them home a round later.
It means most should have got a much-needed holiday ahead of returning for the majority of Chelseas pre-season under new manager Xabi Alonso.
Watch out for bobbles Yeah, Simon Johnson might have been right.
Cole Palmer, Estevao and Joao Pedro have all had a walk on the pitch ahead of the warm-ups and I think I can see as much bare soil as tufts of grass.
Avoiding injury will be a good starting point tonight.
And among the WSW replacements..
Western Sydney Wanderers substitutes: Thomas (GK), Vidackovic (GK); Morrison, Barrie, Katrib, Fransen, Savic, Ugarkovic, Cetinic, Milanovic, Carluccio, Lual, Rose, Hassarati, Waraga, Abdul-Rahman.
Who's on the Chelsea bench? Let's take a look.
Chelsea substitutes: Sanchez (GK), Curd (GK); Colwill, Fofana, Anselmino, Palestra, Diakite, Lavia, Nicoll-Jazuli, Kellyman, Palmer, Estevao, Gittens, Pedro.
Western Sydney Wanderers line-up: Borrello, Di Pizio start And here is how Ufuk Talays side lines up today.
Western Sydney Wanderers (4-2-3-1): Holmes; Madanha, Ferreyra, Pantazopoulos, Gersbach; Scicluna, Thurgate; Borrello, Di Pizio, Hammond; Gillion.
Chelsea line-up: Delap up front, Tosin in defence Here is Xabi Alonsos first line-up in charge of Chelsea.
Chelsea (4-3-3): Sharman-Lowe; Acheampong, Subuloye, Tosin, Emenalo; Watson, Essugo, Walsh; Satpayev, Delap, Kavuma-McQueen.
A fitting playing surface? Our Chelsea correspondent Simon Johnson is already at Accor Stadium in Sydney and has taken a look at the inside of the venue.
Its fair to say that the first thing he noticed was the state of the pitch and having been in Australia I would say that Ive seen far worse.
Hopefully it plays better than it looks.
Stand by for team news The two team line-ups will be revealed very shortly.
We will bring them to you as soon as we have them.
Plenty to play for in goal Xabi Alonso told reporters in Sydney ahead of today's match that he has not yet decided who will be the No 1 goalkeeper ahead of the new season.
Robert Sanchez is facing new competition for the starting role this year with Belgium international Mike Penders, 20, joining the squad having impressed on loan at Strasbourg last term.
Penders has yet to start training as he is also on a post World Cup break.
Alonso said: All the positions, everything is open.
The competition within the squad is positive and I like that.
Filip Jorgensens inclusion suggests he is not close to realising his stated desire to leave and return to being a No 1 goalkeeper elsewhere.
In any case, Alonso may appreciate his presence as a more seasoned alternative to Sanchez, with Penders on a post-World Cup holiday.
Lets see who plays between the sticks today.
Diving deeper into Rogers signing There is plenty of content on The Athletic analysing the signing of Morgan Rogers and what it means for Chelsea.
- Liam Twomey and Conor ONeill discuss what Chelsea are getting for their 117m here - Cerys Jones asks who got the better deal after Manchester City bought Elliot Anderson for 116m here - And manager Xabi Alonso backed Rogers to make an instant impact in quotes here Tuck in.
Morgan Rogers is a stellar acquisition Chelsea confirmed the signing of Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa in a 117million (137m; $157m) deal last week.
The 23-year-old put pen to paper on a six-year deal at Stamford Bridge, with the option of a further 12 months.
He will link up with the Chelsea squad following their pre-season tour of Australia and Asia, with those fixtures taking place from today (July 28) to August 9.
And there will be more moves to come Indeed, Chelsea are finalising a 52million deal for Crystal Palace defender Maxence Lacroix, with Cerys Jones and Mark Carey arguing his physicality and experience is exactly what the club needs.
Another defender in free agent John Stones is on the radar, while David Ornstein revealed yesterday (Monday) that Chelsea are exploring a move for Brighton striker Danny Welbeck.
Bournemouth midfielder Alex Scott is admired, with Chelsea having a bid rejected last week.
The key signing so far this window, though? That is probably this one next ..
Chelsea heavily involved in transfer market Chelsea have been characteristically busy in the opening weeks of the summer transfer window.
The club has signed right wing-back Marco Palestra from Atalanta, with wide man Geovany Quenda joining after his move from Sporting CP was agreed in March 2025.
Central midfielder Andrey Santos has moved to Manchester United and defender Marc Cucurella to Real Madrid, with winger Tyrique George heading to Everton and another in Alejandro Garnacho going to Aston Villa on a loan deal with a conditional obligation to buy.
Aston Villa set-piece coach Austin MacPhees release clause has been triggered too.
Whos playing tomorrow? The series continues tomorrow as Chelseas London rivals Tottenham face Sydney FC, which will also be covered live on The Athletic.
Chelsea then face Tottenham on Saturday, before Chelsea Women face an invitational A-Leagues All-Star team.
Whats on the line today? This match is part of the 2026 Sydney Super Cup a friendly series featuring the two A-League (the top tier of Australian soccer) sides based in Sydney plus two invitees from London: Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur.
Chelseas match today is the opening match of the mini-series.
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Our venue today: Accor Stadium Accor Stadium Olympic Park, Sydney Located in Sydneys Olympic Park that hosted the 2000 Games, the former Olympic Stadium is now an 83,000 venue for various sports across the calendar.
Accor Stadium is currently home to two National Rugby League (NRL) sides, as well as Australias mens and womens national soccer and rugby union teams.
Since the 2000 Olympics, Accor Stadium has hosted the NRL Grand Final, the 2003 Rugby World Cup final and 2023 Womens World Cup final.
Two of the four matches in the 2026 Sydney Super Cup will take place at the stadium, with today followed by a friendly between Chelsea and Tottenham on Saturday.