Seesaw Malaysia draw gives Xabi Alonso plenty to ponder at Chelsea

Chelsea’s pre-season tour ended in a seesaw 3-3 draw against Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT), giving Xabi Alonso plenty to consider before the season begins. According to The Guardian, Delap scored twice from the penalty spot in the friendly against the Malaysian champions.

Alonso made 11 changes to his starting lineup, resting players after Chelsea had beaten Milan with a strong team only 24 hours earlier and roughly 600 miles away. The wholesale rotation offered opportunities to fringe players but also exposed familiar concerns.

The draw came with less than two weeks to go before Chelsea open their Premier League campaign at home to Fulham on 24 August, where Alonso will come up against his old friend Álvaro Arbeloa in the opposing dugout. The Chelsea manager still has key players to reintegrate after a season in which the club finished 10th.

With a bloated forward line and echoes of last season’s inexperience and indiscipline, there is clearly work to do before competitive football returns. Readers can find related match highlights on this site.