Mykhailo Mudryk made his first appearance for Chelsea in 20 months as a substitute in Wednesday's 1-0 defeat by Juventus in Hong Kong.

The Ukraine international came on in the 82nd minute to cheers from the crowd of 43,000 at Kai Tak Stadium - just five days after his suspension for testing positive for the banned substance meldonium ended following a settlement with the Football Association and World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

In his first involvement, Mudryk almost latched on to an overhit through-ball from Estevao Willian and was seen closing down opponents while operating in his favoured position on the left wing.

The 25-year-old also delivered a late left-footed cross - his brief appearance coming 615 days since he last touched a ball in a competitive game in November 2024, when he scored in a Conference League win over Heidenheim.

Chelsea boss Xabi Alonso said: "It was emotional for everyone at the club to see him back, especially when I told him before the game that he could play for 10 to 15 minutes.

"He was thrilled, for sure. After such a long period, it was a great feeling for him to be back on the pitch, and for everyone as well."

From a fan perspective, there was clear excitement whenever Mudryk was involved. He also appeared to be one of the main targets for autograph hunters, while many in attendance wore shirts bearing his name and number.

There were also supportive messages on the big screen welcoming the return of the forward, who joined Chelsea from Shakhtar Donetsk in January 2023 and scored 10 goals in 73 appearances before his suspension.

Mudryk's appearance came a day after he featured in an open training session, as well as a further session behind closed doors, which convinced Alonso he was fit enough to feature.

There had been some uncertainty over his efforts to maintain his fitness with a private coach while training at seventh-tier Uxbridge FC's Honeycroft Stadium.

However, it was a second successive defeat for Alonso's new-look Chelsea side, with Edon Zhegrova's excellent curling strike in the 68th minute proving the difference.

The Blues had been the better side, but striker Danny Welbeck, who made his first appearance since joining from Brighton, Jamie Gittens and Italian full-back Marco Palestra all failed to take their chances.

Following a loan spell at Bayern Munich, striker Nicolas Jackson also made his first appearance for Chelsea in more than a year during a 37-minute cameo, but he was replaced by Mudryk in a pre-agreed change. It was a nice touch from Jackson and he turned to give a thumbs up to Alonso having come off.

'Great dynamism and quality' - teenager Nicoll-Jazuli impresses again

Arguably the breakout star of Chelsea's pre-season tour of Australia has not been one of their new signings, but 16-year-old academy midfielder Mahdi Nicoll-Jazuli.

The youngster only completed his GCSEs a few months ago, but started his first senior match in the loss to Juventus as one of two holding midfielders alongside Moises Caicedo.

It was reward for an impressive 45-minute appearance against Tottenham after coming on at half-time in Sydney, where his mother's side of the family is from.

At Kai Tak Stadium in Hong Kong, Nicoll-Jazuli produced a number of encouraging moments.

He constantly demanded the ball, won possession on the edge of the Juventus penalty area at the end of the first half to set up a headed chance for Gittens, and showed he could compete physically against more experienced opponents.

Nicoll-Jazuli was half the age of debutant Welbeck but has played more minutes than any of Chelsea's other midfielders during pre-season. He has not looked out of place despite often playing further forward as an attacking midfielder at youth level.

England's Cole Palmer said last week how Nicoll-Jazuli had "all the attributes to play at this club", while team-mate Romeo Lavia described him as a "scary" talent.

Alonso has also been full of praise as he added: "He has special qualities you don't see often from a 16-year old guy.

"He has great dynamism and quality - a very complete player. He can pass short, dribble in the middle. He has made a good impression so far.''

Behind the scenes, Chelsea regard the England Under-17s international as a special talent and have been accelerating his development through opportunities to break academy records over the past year.

Last season, Nicoll-Jazuli became Chelsea's youngest player to score and appear in the Under-19s Uefa Youth League. He also featured regularly for the under-21s while aged 15, including in EFL Trophy matches against experienced EFL opposition.

It is part of a wider strategy by senior academy staff to retain the club's brightest prospects in an increasingly competitive environment following Brexit. Chelsea lost Rio Ngumoha to Liverpool and winger Ryan McAidoo, who has impressed under Enzo Maresca during Manchester City's pre-season programme, in 2024.

Those departures sent shockwaves through Cobham and prompted a more proactive approach towards leading young talents. Nicoll-Jazuli and his family have already built relationships with senior figures at Chelsea, helping to convince him to sign a professional contract when he turns 17 in January.

Holding a French passport, he has also had options elsewhere, including interest from Paris St-Germain and Bayern Munich. However, Nicoll-Jazuli is expected to stay and likely to make his competitive Chelsea debut at some point this season. (BBC)

Update news